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To evaluate the performance of 2D Shear-Wave Elastography from General Electric (2D-SWE.GE), implemented on the new LOGIQ P9 system, for the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis, and to identify liver stiffness (LS) cut-off values for predicting different stages of fibrosis, using Transient Elastography (TE) as the reference method. Our study included 234 consecutive subjects, with or without chronic hepatopathies, in whom LS was evaluated in the same session by means of two elastographic techniques: TE (FibroScan, EchoSens) and 2D-SWE.GE (LOGIQ P9, GE Healthcare). Reliable liver stiffness measurements (LSM) were defined for TE as the median value of 10 measurements with an interquartile range/median ratio (IQR/M) < 0.30 and for 2D-SWE.GE as the median value of 10 measurements acquired in a homogenous area, with an IQR/M < 0.30. To discriminate between fibrosis stages by TE we used the following cut-offs: F2 - 7 kPa; F3 - 9.5 kPa and F4 - 12 kPa [1]. Reliable LS measurements were obtained in 217/234 (92.7%) subjects by 2D-SWE.GE and in 222/234 (94.8%) by TE, so the final analysis included 205 subjects (p = 0.454). 36% (74/205) of subjects included in the study were healthy liver subjects. Based on TE [1] cut-off values we divided the rest of our cohort into 4 groups: F < 2: 40/131 (30.5%); F2: 24/131 (18.3%); F3 = 22/131 (16.8%); F4 = 45/131 (34.4%). The mean LS values for normal subjects for 2D-SWE-GE was 5.05 ± 0.83 kPa and for TE 4.4 ± 0.87 kPa. A very good correlation was found between the LS values obtained by 2D-SWE.GE and TE: r = 0.81, p < 0.0001. The best 2D-SWE.GE cut-off value for F ≥ 2 it was 6.8 kPa (AUROC 0.93, Sensitivity 83.5%. Specificity 91.2%), for F ≥ 3 it was 7.6 kPa (AUROC 0.94, Sensitivity 86.5%, Specificity 92.7%) and for F = 4 it was 9.3 kPa (AUROC 0.91, Sensitivity 75.5%, Specificity 92.5%). The mean LS values for normal subjects for 2D-SWE-GE (P9) was 5.05 ± 0.83 kPa. The best 2D-SWE.GE (P9) cut-off values for predicting F ≥ 2, F ≥ 3 and F = 4 were 6.8 kPa, 7.6 kPa and 9.3 kPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Ultrasound (US) is an essential diagnostic and educational tool in medical practice, and its effective implementation into medical curricula is critical. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of two disparate educational approaches-an optional semester course and a specifically curated intensive workshop-on the learning curve of medical students in abdominal ultrasonography. Material and methods: Engaging fourth and fifth-year medical students, this study, incorporated both theoretical and practical elements of US, providing participants with hands-on experience and evaluative assessments pre- and post-training. Students were segregated into two groups: one experienced a 14-hour optional semester course and the other a 6-hour intensive workshop, both yielding distinct teaching methodologies yet aspiring for synonymous educational outcomes. Results: Involving a total of 93 participants, findings elucidated that regardless of the educational method employed, post-training identification of US structures exhibited a significant enhancement compared to pre-training. Interestingly, no substantial disparities were discerned between the two educational approaches nor gender-based differences in learning outcomes. Conclusions: This investigation provides pivotal insights into the versatile utility of different educational strategies in abdominal US training for medical students, affirming that varied pedagogical methods can achieve comparable augmentations in student proficiency. Further research is paramount to ascertain the optimal integration of US education into medical curricula, considering aspects such as duration, depth, and mode of delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]