title: [Feasibility of focused transthoracic echocardiography in intensive care unit performed by intensivists].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the clinical applicability of focused transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in intensive care unit (ICU) performed by intensivists and its impacts on clinical managements.
  
  
  METHODS
  After 12-hour tutorials and initial cardiac clinical assessments, intensivists performed a focused TTE (2-4 views of 2D, without Doppler or M mode) examination in 88 patients to assess left ventricular function and left ventricular volume status, and rule out local ventricular wall motion abnormalities and significant pericardial effusions. Each investigation was immediately reviewed by an echocardiograph to determine the technical quality of the TTE and the accuracy of the intensivist's interpretation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intensivists successfully performed a diagnostic focused TTE in 86 patients (97.7%) and interpreted correctly in 75 patients (85.2%). Management including fluid treatment, inotropic agent and vasoactive agent in 22.7% of patients were changed directly based on the focused TTE, 45.5% of patients were provided with valuable information, while 31.8% of them with non-valuable information. The mean focused TTE acquisition time of the intensivist was (11.2±5.2) minutes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After a brief standard training in using echocardiographic system, intensivists can successfully performed and correctly interpreted a focused TTE for critically ill patients. Our study demonstrates that new information can be provided by focused TTE, which can alter management in a significant number of patients. The present study supports incorporating bedside goal-directed, focused TTE into intensivists' training programs in China.
authors.affiliation: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China. Corresponding author: Ai Yu-hang, Email: ayhicu1978@sina.com.
authors.forename: Li-na
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yu-hang
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Ai
authors.forename: Zhi-yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chun-hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Ji-xiang
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016638:Critical Illness; D004452:Echocardiography; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D011446:Prospective Studies