title: An assessment of the clinical utility of echocardiography criteria in a Tertiary Health Center.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The rising prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in the population has increased the demand for cardiovascular imaging procedures (specifically echocardiography) in our center.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the percentage of appropriate indications for echocardiography.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective study conducted over a period of 1 year in the Department of Medicine of a Tertiary Health Care Center. The clinical diagnoses by the referring clinician and the indications (specific reasons for the study) for the echocardiography were consecutively recorded. The age and gender of the patients were also recorded. The indications were given a score of one to nine according to the revised appropriate use criteria of the American College of Cardiology Foundation and the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE). These indications were then classified into appropriate, inappropriate or uncertain based on the score. (1-3)-inappropriate use, (4-6) were derived.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 25 indications, 16 (64%) were appropriate, 6 (24%) were inappropriate and three (12%) were rated as uncertain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sixty-four percent of the indications for echocardiography are appropriate for the procedure. This implies that the criteria for echocardiography are yet to be fully implemented resulting in overutilization of the procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ehimwenma J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Ogbemudia
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Wilson E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Sadoh
keywords: Echocardiography criteria; utility