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Focused Transthoracic Echocardiography by Sports Medicine Physicians
Author(s) -
Yim Eugene S.,
Gillis Edward F.,
Ojala Krystin,
MacDonald James,
Basilico Frederick C.,
Corrado Gianmichael D.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of ultrasound in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1550-9613
pISSN - 0278-4297
DOI - 10.7863/jum.2013.32.2.333
Subject(s) - medicine , sonographer , intraclass correlation , parasternal line , cardiology , radiology , ultrasonography , clinical psychology , psychometrics
Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate whether sports medicine physicians can use portable echocardiography to obtain measurements pertinent to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Methods Thirty male collegiate athletes, aged 18 to 21 years, were prospectively enrolled. Focused portable echocardiography was performed by a board‐certified sports medicine physician and a resident physician, followed by comprehensive echocardiography within 2 weeks by a registered diagnostic cardiac sonographer. A left parasternal long‐axis view was acquired to measure 3 dimensions: (1) end‐diastolic interventricular septal thickness (IVSd), (2) end‐diastolic left ventricular internal diameter (LVIDd), and (3) end‐diastolic left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWd). Results Intraclass correlation coefficients between the sports medicine physician and the sonographer were strong: 0.77 for IVSd, 0.73 for LVIDd, and 0.64 for LVPWd. Intraclass correlation coefficients between measurements by the resident physician and sonographer were strong to moderate: 0.61 for IVSd, 0.62 for LVIDd, and 0.63 for LVPWd. Across all 3 readers, intraclass correlation coefficient calculations were 0.77 for IVSd, 0.81 LVIDd, and 0.75 for LVPWd, which indicated strong inter‐rater reliability. Conclusions Sports medicine physicians are able to obtain measurements relevant to the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with focused portable echocardiography that are consistent with comprehensive echocardiography by a registered sonographer.