title: A pocket-sized hand held ultrasound system for intraoperative transthoracic echocardiography by anaesthesiologists: A feasibility study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The intraoperative application of focused transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is often considered to be restricted. Echocardiography with pocket-sized hand held ultrasound systems has been shown to be feasible in various settings.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of the intraoperative application of pocket-sized echocardiography and the comparison of its imaging quality and diagnostic reliability and variability with a standard ultrasound system.
  
  
  METHODS
  After written informed consent, TTE was performed on 40 anaesthetised general, vascular, visceral, thoracic surgical and orthopaedic patients according to the FATE protocol: first, with a pocket-sized and second, with a high-end ultrasound system randomly by two anaesthetists. Imaging quality of four basic and three additional FATE views was rated on an established scale from 1 (impossible) to 5 (perfect). Successful TTE was defined, if one basic FATE views would be rated as grade 4 or 5 or alternatively two views as grade 3. Pathologic findings by both ultrasound devices were documented and imaging quality and pathologic findings were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 40 patients presented acceptable imaging quality, resulting in a success rate of 1.0 (97.5%-CI 0.91-1, p= 0.015). The individual imaging ratings of each view were significantly lower with the pocket-sized system, but still showed acceptable imaging quality. With the high-end device more pathologic findings were detected (107 vs. 87), but none of the relevant or severe pathologies were overseen with the hand-held device.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The application of a pocket-sized echocardiography device for focused intraoperative TTE is feasible and can appropriate be used for the initial evaluation of relevant pathologies in the operating theatre.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.|Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Clinique Bénigne Joly, Talant, France.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kratz
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care Medicin and Pain Therapy, Unfallkrankenhaus, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Exner
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Medecine, Sportklinik Bad Nauheim, Bad Nauheim, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campo dell'Orto
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Bunsenstr, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Timmesfeld
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Rheumatology, University Hospital Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Schüttler
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Rheumatology, University Hospital Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Efe
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zoremba
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wulf
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Steinfeldt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000072080:Anesthesiologists; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
keywords: Focused TTE; hand held echocardiography; intraoperative echocardiography; pocket-sized echocardiography device