title: Evaluation of a rapid bedside scoring system for microcirculation videos acquired from dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To appraise a novel scoring system (Bedside Evaluation of Microcirculation [BEM]) to provide qualitative and semiquantitative assessment of canine microcirculatory videos generated by sidestream dark field imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  No animals were used in this study. Twenty microcirculatory videos (>20 s in length) acquired from the mucosa adjacent to the upper canine tooth of dogs were selected from a database of sidestream dark field microcirculatory videos with available current standard analysis (CSA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Three observers were trained to evaluate 5 video quality parameters (stability, content, illumination, focus, and pressure) and four perfusion parameters (total vessel density [TVD], capillary vessel density [CVD], perfused vessel density [PVD] and microvascular flow index [MFI]). Quality parameters were scored (excellent [0], sufficient [1], and insufficient [2]) similar to CSA recommendations. Each perfusion parameter was subjectively scored (1 lowest - 5 highest) using sample clips from the training video for comparison. Videos passed quality analysis if no parameter was scored insufficient. Repeatability and reproducibility were evaluated by assessing all films in a random order three times daily for 3 days. Strength of correlation of BEM with CSA for both qualitative and semiquantitative parameters was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The qualitative evaluation pass/fail assessment matched CSA 86% of the time with individual observer agreements of 84-88%. Agreement with CSA did not change significantly over the study period (84%, 88%, and 84% on days 1, 2, and 3, respectively). No significant correlations were demonstrated between any BEM perfusion parameter and the corresponding CSA values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rapid bedside assessment of microcirculatory video quality can be achieved. However, semiquantitative analysis by BEM demonstrated a lack of correlation with CSA for any of the perfusion parameters assessed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gommeren
authors.forename: Fergus J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Allerton
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reynaud
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.forename: Deborah C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Silverstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs / Q000502:physiology*; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology*; D018715:Microscopy, Video / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014741:Video Recording / Q000145:classification*
keywords: canine; perfusion assessment; sidestream dark field imaging