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Review article: Clinical impact of non‐cardiologist‐performed transthoracic echocardiography in emergency medicine, intensive care medicine and anaesthesia
Author(s) -
Haji Darsim L,
Royse Alistair,
Royse Colin F
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
emergency medicine australasia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.602
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1742-6723
pISSN - 1742-6731
DOI - 10.1111/1742-6723.12033
Subject(s) - medicine , point of care , intensive care medicine , intensive care , emergency department , clinical practice , point of care ultrasound , emergency medicine , ultrasound , radiology , physical therapy , pathology , nursing
There is increased realisation of the emerging role of point‐of‐care transthoracic echocardiography ( TTE ) as ‘ultrasound‐assisted examination’, given the low sensitivity of clinical examination for cardiovascular pathologies and the time‐critical nature of these pathologies. There is evidence that point‐of‐care TTE provides higher accuracy in patient assessment and management, with potential prognostic impact by assessing the severity of cardiac dysfunction and response to treatment. Point‐of‐care TTE is increasingly used by non‐cardiologists, as a diagnostic, screening or monitoring tool. The literature shows that TTE identifies new clinical findings, and conversely can accurately rule out clinically important pathologies. Recent reports have examined more advanced ultrasound devices and patients in the critical care settings of emergency medicine, intensive care and anaesthesia. The diagnostic capability of new portable devices is improving rapidly and outdating its predecessors, thereby improving confidence in echocardiography findings.