title: Pocket-size imaging device as a screening tool for aortic stenosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of a pocket-size imaging device in the hands of a noncardiologist as a screening tool for diagnosing aortic stenosis in individuals with newly discovered systolic murmur.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 200 consecutive patients with systolic murmur were included; a limited focused cardiac ultrasound was performed with a pocket-size imaging device and compared to standard echocardiography. It was performed by a noncardiologist with no formal training in echocardiography. In all, 150 patients had morphological changes on the aortic valve, 77 had more than mild aortic stenosis, 30 had more than mild mitral regurgitation, 64 patients had more than moderate hypertrophy, 113 had more than moderately enlarged left atriums, and 3 had severely enlarged left ventricles. There were no significant difference in recognizing severe changes between Vscan focused cardiac ultrasound and comprehensive echocardiography.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pocket-size ultrasound imaging devices without continuous and pulse wave Doppler modalities can, even in the hands of a noncardiologist with limited cardiac ultrasound instructions with high sensitivity and specificity, be a useful tool for detecting more than mild aortic stenosis and more than mild mitral regurgitation. As such a focused cardiac ultrasound can be an extension of physical examinations for patients with newly discovered systolic murmur.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiosurgery, University Clinical Center Maribor, Ljubljanska 5, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia. tanja.gulic@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tatjana Golob
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Gulič
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital Slovenj Gradec, Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Makuc
authors.affiliation: Center for Emergency Medicine, Community Health Center Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Prosen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Dejan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dinevski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008904:Miniaturization; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D054160:Systolic Murmurs / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology
keywords: Aortic stenosis; Focused cardiac ultrasound; Pocket-size imaging device; Screening; Systolic murmur