Ultrasound Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ultrasound, including details on screening, diagnosis, pregnancy, detection. | ||||||||
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The use of the SonoSite ultrasound device for intraoperative evaluation of the aorta.Staples JR, Tanaka KA, Shanewise JS, Glas KE, Merlino JD, Cooper WA, Puskas JD, Lattouf OM Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30306, USA. james_staples@emoryhealthcare.org OBJECTIVE: Neurologic complications remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in cardiac surgery. Risk factors for neurologic injuries include the presence of atheromatous disease in the aorta. Epiaortic ultrasound has been shown to be superior in detecting the extent and location of atheromatous disease. The SonoSite Corporation (Bothell, WA) has recently introduced an affordable, portable, high-resolution ultrasound device. This new device was compared with the Hewlett-Packard Sonos 5550 ultrasound device (currently manufactured by Philips, Andover, MA) to determine suitability for this purpose. DESIGN: Prospective, serial comparison of 2 devices. SETTING: University hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty consecutive cardiac surgery patients. INTERVENTIONS: Intraoperative epiaortic ultrasound images were obtained using a SonoSite 180 Plus ultrasound device and a Hewlett-Packard Sonos 5500 ultrasound device. Three observers graded recorded images based on extent of atheromatous disease. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Two patients were excluded because of errors in recording images. For the 48 remaining patients, consensus (median) grades had an observed agreement of 93.6% compared with a chance agreement of 67.7%. This correlates to a kappa value of 0.80 or near-excellent agreement. CONCLUSIONS: The near-excellent agreement of the 2 devices is acceptable, thus providing a unique opportunity to expand the use of epiaortic ultrasound imaging. Published 14 January 2005 in J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth, 18(6): 715-8.
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