CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Ibnosina Journal of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences 2024; 16(03): 092-095
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1786685
Original Article

Evaluation of Regional Wall Motion Abnormalities with Echocardiography in the Emergency Department

Yusuf Karancı
1   Department of Emergency Medicine, Health Science University Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Antalya, Türkiye
,
1   Department of Emergency Medicine, Health Science University Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Antalya, Türkiye
,
Fatih Selvi
1   Department of Emergency Medicine, Health Science University Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Antalya, Türkiye
,
Ökkeş Zortuk
1   Department of Emergency Medicine, Health Science University Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Antalya, Türkiye
› Author Affiliations
Funding and Sponsorship None.

Abstract

Introduction Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a major cardiovascular disease, particularly in cases where standard electrocardiogram findings are equivocal. Focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) has become increasingly accepted as a tool in emergency medicine. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of FOCUS in detecting regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMA) compared with standard echocardiography (ECHO).

Materials and Methods This prospective observational study included 91 patients who presented to the emergency department between June 1, 2023, and November 30, 2023. Senior emergency physicians performed FOCUS examinations, which were performed by an emergency assistant or specialist who works in the emergency department, has at least 2 years of experience in ultrasonography (USG), and has basic USG and advanced USG certificates. The examinations assessed the presence of RWMA in each patient's left ventricle.

Results All 91 patients were included in the study for comparison with formal ECHO. The mean age was 58, and 32% of patients were female. Compared with the criterion standard of formal ECHO, the sensitivity of FOCUS performed by emergency physicians for detecting RWMA was 85% (95% confidence interval [CI], 73–92), the specificity was 53% (95% CI, 36–69), and the overall accuracy was 74% (95% CI, 64–82).

Conclusion Our study demonstrates the potential utility of FOCUS performed by emergency physicians in detecting RWMA in patients with high suspicion of ACS.

Authors' Contributions

Y.K. and C.B.: Conceptualization, data curation, investigation, methodology, supervision, validation, visualization, writing – original draft, writing – review and editing. F.S. and O.Z.: Supervision, validation, visualization, writing – original draft, writing – review and editing.


Compliance with Ethical Principles

The study was approved by the Health Science University Antalya Training and Research Hospital Ethical Committee. Informed consent was obtained from the participants before data collection.




Publication History

Article published online:
11 July 2024

© 2024. The Libyan Biotechnology Research Center. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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