TY - JOUR
T1 - A prospective study of a hand-held ultrasound device in abdominal aortic aneurysm evaluation
AU - Lin, Peter H.
AU - Bush, Ruth L.
AU - McCoy, Sally A.
AU - Felkai, Deborah
AU - Pasnelli, Terrance K.
AU - Nelson, John C.
AU - Watts, Kenneth
AU - Lam, Russell C.
AU - Lumsden, Alan B.
PY - 2003/1/1
Y1 - 2003/1/1
N2 - Purpose: Effective treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) requires both early detection and timely repair to reduce aneurysm-related mortality. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the utility of a hand-held ultrasonography (US) device in AAA screening in a Veterans Affairs vascular surgical service. Methods: During a 16-month period, patients with risk factors for AAA were evaluated in a blinded fashion with a hand-held US device performed by physicians. A conventional abdominal duplex US examination was also performed by a certified vascular ultrasonographer. Results of the hand-held US was compared with the conventional duplex US examination. Results: A total of 104 patients were evaluated (97 men, mean age 67 ± 6.3 years). The mean times for hand-held and conventional duplex US examinations were 5.3 ± 3.2 minutes and 3.1 ± 2.4 minutes (not significant), respectively. Using the conventional duplex US as a reference, the sensitivity and specificity of the hand-held device in detecting a AAA were 93% and 97%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values of the hand-held device were 89% and 98%, respectively. The likelihood ratios of positive and negative tests of the hand-held US device examination were 82 and 0.14, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of the hand-held US device as compared with the conventional duplex US was 98%. Conclusions: A hand-held portable US device is effective and accurate in AAA screening with results comparable to the conventional abdominal duplex examination. Moreover, hand-held portable US for AAA screening can be performed expeditiously during physical examination. It should be used as an extension in routine physical examination in vascular patients.
AB - Purpose: Effective treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) requires both early detection and timely repair to reduce aneurysm-related mortality. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the utility of a hand-held ultrasonography (US) device in AAA screening in a Veterans Affairs vascular surgical service. Methods: During a 16-month period, patients with risk factors for AAA were evaluated in a blinded fashion with a hand-held US device performed by physicians. A conventional abdominal duplex US examination was also performed by a certified vascular ultrasonographer. Results of the hand-held US was compared with the conventional duplex US examination. Results: A total of 104 patients were evaluated (97 men, mean age 67 ± 6.3 years). The mean times for hand-held and conventional duplex US examinations were 5.3 ± 3.2 minutes and 3.1 ± 2.4 minutes (not significant), respectively. Using the conventional duplex US as a reference, the sensitivity and specificity of the hand-held device in detecting a AAA were 93% and 97%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values of the hand-held device were 89% and 98%, respectively. The likelihood ratios of positive and negative tests of the hand-held US device examination were 82 and 0.14, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of the hand-held US device as compared with the conventional duplex US was 98%. Conclusions: A hand-held portable US device is effective and accurate in AAA screening with results comparable to the conventional abdominal duplex examination. Moreover, hand-held portable US for AAA screening can be performed expeditiously during physical examination. It should be used as an extension in routine physical examination in vascular patients.
KW - Abdominal aortic aneurysm
KW - Physical examination
KW - Ultrasonography
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U2 - 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2003.07.018
DO - 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2003.07.018
M3 - Article
C2 - 14599606
AN - SCOPUS:0242361296
SN - 0002-9610
VL - 186
SP - 455
EP - 459
JO - American Journal of Surgery
JF - American Journal of Surgery
IS - 5
ER -