1. Impact of focused cardiac ultrasound in vascular surgery patients: A prospective observational study.
- Author
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Mensel C, Eldrup N, Guldbrand V, and Juhl-Olsen P
- Abstract
Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and logistical consequences of routine preoperative focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) in patients scheduled for elective vascular surgery., Methods: In a prospective, observational study, FOCUS was performed in all patients seen in the vascular surgery outpatient clinic from January 14 to May1, 2019, unless a full echocardiography had been conducted in the preceding 12 months or the patient was already referred to an echocardiography by the vascular surgeons. FOCUS followed a stringent protocol and referrals for a full echocardiography followed predefined criteria., Results: Preoperative FOCUS was performed in 55 (60%) patients. Of these, 12 patients (22%) revealed cardiac pathology and were referred to a full echocardiography. Coronary angiography was subsequently performed in one of these patients but was without a further consequence. All patients underwent surgery., Conclusion: FOCUS disclosed cardiac pathology in the outpatient clinic but with little clinical consequence. This study does not support routine FOCUS as a part of the preoperative patient cardiovascular assessment before vascular surgery. However, larger studies are warranted to further evaluate the relevance of preoperative FOCUS in a larger sample size., Competing Interests: None., (© 2021 The Authors. Health Science Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
- Published
- 2021
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