Diagnosis of pericardial effusion with a new generation hand-carried ultrasound device in cardiothoracic intensive care unit patients

Background: Technological advances introduced hand-carried ultrasound (HCU) imagers in daily clinical workflow providing several benefits such as fast bedside availability and prompt diagnosis. Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic yield of a latest generation HCU imager compared to contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) for the detection of pericardial effusion (PE) in cardiothoracic intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Material and Methods: Thirty-six patients from a cardiothoracic ICU were enrolled to this study irrespective of their underlying disease. All patients were examined with a new generation HCU for the presence of PE. Definite diagnosis of PE was based on findings of MDCT as standard of reference. Statistical analysis was performed using PASW 18. Results: PE was identified in 20 patients by MDCT (prevalence 56%). The HCU examination was carried out technically successfully in all patients. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of HCU for the diagnosis of PE were 75%, 88%, 88%, and 74%, respectively. Conclusion: HCU provides rapid, practical, reliable, and cost-effective diagnosis of PE in patients on cardiothoracic ICU