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Article

Inter-System Variability of Eight Different Handheld Ultrasound (HHUS) Devices—A Prospective Comparison of B-Scan Quality and Clinical Significance in Intensive Care

by
Johannes Matthias Weimer
1,*,
Diana Beer
2,
Christoph Schneider
2,
Masuod Yousefzada
2,
Michael Gottwald
2,
Tim Felix Züllich
2,
Andreas Weimer
3,
Christopher Jonck
1,
Holger Buggenhagen
1,
Roman Kloeckner
4 and
Daniel Merkel
2,5,*
1
Rudolf Frey Learning Clinic, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
2
Immanuel Klinik Rüdersdorf, University Hospital of the Brandenburg Medical School, 15562 Rüdersdorf bei Berlin, Germany
3
Center of Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery and Spinal Cord Injury, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69118 Heidelberg, Germany
4
Institute of Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein—Campus Lübeck, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
5
BIKUS—Brandenburg Institute for Clinical Ultrasound, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane (MHB), 16816 Neuruppin, Germany
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Diagnostics 2024, 14(1), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14010054
Submission received: 8 December 2023 / Revised: 22 December 2023 / Accepted: 23 December 2023 / Published: 26 December 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Challenges and Perspectives of Ultrasound)
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Abstract

Background: the use of handheld ultrasonography (HHUS) devices is well established in prehospital emergency diagnostics, as well as in intensive care settings. This is based on several studies in which HHUS devices were compared to conventional high-end ultrasonography (HEUS) devices. Nonetheless, there is limited evidence regarding potential variations in B-scan quality among HHUS devices from various manufacturers, and regarding whether any such differences hold clinical significance in intensive care medicine settings. Methods: this study included the evaluation of eight HHUS devices sourced from diverse manufacturers. Ultrasound videos of five previously defined sonographic questions (volume status/inferior vena cava, pleural effusion, pulmonary B-lines, gallbladder, and needle tracking in situ) were recorded with all devices. The analogue recording of the same pathologies with a HEUS device served as gold standard. The corresponding findings (HHUS and HEUS) were then played side by side and evaluated by sixteen intensive care physicians experienced in sonography. The B-scan quality and the clinical significance of the HHUS were assessed using a five-point Likert scale (5 points = very good; 1 point = insufficient). Results: both in assessing the quality of B-scans and in their ability to answer clinical questions, the HHUS achieved convincing results—regardless of the manufacturer. For example, only 8.6% (B-scan quality) and 9.8% (clinical question) of all submitted assessments received an “insufficient” rating. One HHUS device showed a significantly higher (p < 0.01) average points score in the assessment of B-scan quality (3.9 ± 0.65 points) and in the evaluation of clinical significance (4.03 ± 0.73 points), compared to the other devices. Conclusions: HHUS systems are able to reliably answer various clinical intensive care questions and are—while bearing their limitations in mind—an acceptable alternative to conventional HEUS devices. Irrespective of this, the present study was able to demonstrate relevant differences in the B-scan quality of HHUS devices from different manufacturers.
Keywords: B-scan; sonography; quality; comparison image quality; HEUS; high-end ultrasound; HHUS; handheld ultrasound; pocket ultrasound; intensive care B-scan; sonography; quality; comparison image quality; HEUS; high-end ultrasound; HHUS; handheld ultrasound; pocket ultrasound; intensive care

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MDPI and ACS Style

Weimer, J.M.; Beer, D.; Schneider, C.; Yousefzada, M.; Gottwald, M.; Züllich, T.F.; Weimer, A.; Jonck, C.; Buggenhagen, H.; Kloeckner, R.; et al. Inter-System Variability of Eight Different Handheld Ultrasound (HHUS) Devices—A Prospective Comparison of B-Scan Quality and Clinical Significance in Intensive Care. Diagnostics 2024, 14, 54. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14010054

AMA Style

Weimer JM, Beer D, Schneider C, Yousefzada M, Gottwald M, Züllich TF, Weimer A, Jonck C, Buggenhagen H, Kloeckner R, et al. Inter-System Variability of Eight Different Handheld Ultrasound (HHUS) Devices—A Prospective Comparison of B-Scan Quality and Clinical Significance in Intensive Care. Diagnostics. 2024; 14(1):54. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14010054

Chicago/Turabian Style

Weimer, Johannes Matthias, Diana Beer, Christoph Schneider, Masuod Yousefzada, Michael Gottwald, Tim Felix Züllich, Andreas Weimer, Christopher Jonck, Holger Buggenhagen, Roman Kloeckner, and et al. 2024. "Inter-System Variability of Eight Different Handheld Ultrasound (HHUS) Devices—A Prospective Comparison of B-Scan Quality and Clinical Significance in Intensive Care" Diagnostics 14, no. 1: 54. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14010054

APA Style

Weimer, J. M., Beer, D., Schneider, C., Yousefzada, M., Gottwald, M., Züllich, T. F., Weimer, A., Jonck, C., Buggenhagen, H., Kloeckner, R., & Merkel, D. (2024). Inter-System Variability of Eight Different Handheld Ultrasound (HHUS) Devices—A Prospective Comparison of B-Scan Quality and Clinical Significance in Intensive Care. Diagnostics, 14(1), 54. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14010054

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