TY - JOUR
T1 - Simplified rheumatic heart disease screening criteria for handheld echocardiography
AU - Lu, Jimmy C.
AU - Sable, Craig
AU - Ensing, Gregory J.
AU - Webb, Catherine
AU - Scheel, Janet
AU - Aliku, Twalib
AU - Lwabi, Peter
AU - Godown, Justin
AU - Beaton, Andrea
N1 - Funding Information:
This project was supported by Award Nos. UL1TR000075 and KL2TR000076 from the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences . Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences or the National Institutes of Health. This study was also funded in part by grants from General Electric , the World Heart Federation , and the CHAMPS for Mott fund.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 American Society of Echocardiography.
PY - 2015/4/1
Y1 - 2015/4/1
N2 - Background Using 2012 World Heart Federation criteria, standard portable echocardiography (STAND) reveals a high burden of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in resource-poor settings, but widespread screening is limited by cost and physician availability. Handheld echocardiography (HAND) may decrease costs, but World Heart Federation criteria are complicated for rapid field screening, particularly for nonphysician screeners. The aim of this study was to determine the best simplified screening strategy for RHD detection using HAND. Methods In this prospective study, STAND (GE Vivid q or i or Philips CX-50) was performed in five schools in Gulu, Uganda; a random subset plus all children with detectable mitral regurgitation or aortic insufficiency also underwent HAND (GE Vscan). Borderline or definite RHD cases were defined by 2012 World Heart Federation criteria on STAND images, by two experienced readers. HAND studies were reviewed by cardiologists blinded to STAND results. Single and combined HAND parameters were evaluated to determine the simplified screening strategy that maximized sensitivity and specificity for case detection. Results In 1,439 children (mean age, 10.8 ± 2.6 years; 47% male) with HAND and STAND studies, morphologic criteria and the presence of any mitral regurgitation by HAND had poor specificity. The presence of aortic insufficiency was specific but not sensitive. Combined criteria of mitral regurgitation jet length ≥ 1.5 cm or any aortic insufficiency best balanced sensitivity (73.3%) and specificity (82.4%), with excellent sensitivity for definite RHD (97.9%). With a prevalence of 4% and subsequent STAND screening of positive HAND studies, this would reduce STAND studies by 80% from a STAND-based screening strategy. Conclusions In resource-limited settings, HAND with simplified criteria can detect RHD with good sensitivity and specificity and decrease the need for standard echocardiography. Further study is needed to validate screening by local practitioners and long-term outcomes.
AB - Background Using 2012 World Heart Federation criteria, standard portable echocardiography (STAND) reveals a high burden of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in resource-poor settings, but widespread screening is limited by cost and physician availability. Handheld echocardiography (HAND) may decrease costs, but World Heart Federation criteria are complicated for rapid field screening, particularly for nonphysician screeners. The aim of this study was to determine the best simplified screening strategy for RHD detection using HAND. Methods In this prospective study, STAND (GE Vivid q or i or Philips CX-50) was performed in five schools in Gulu, Uganda; a random subset plus all children with detectable mitral regurgitation or aortic insufficiency also underwent HAND (GE Vscan). Borderline or definite RHD cases were defined by 2012 World Heart Federation criteria on STAND images, by two experienced readers. HAND studies were reviewed by cardiologists blinded to STAND results. Single and combined HAND parameters were evaluated to determine the simplified screening strategy that maximized sensitivity and specificity for case detection. Results In 1,439 children (mean age, 10.8 ± 2.6 years; 47% male) with HAND and STAND studies, morphologic criteria and the presence of any mitral regurgitation by HAND had poor specificity. The presence of aortic insufficiency was specific but not sensitive. Combined criteria of mitral regurgitation jet length ≥ 1.5 cm or any aortic insufficiency best balanced sensitivity (73.3%) and specificity (82.4%), with excellent sensitivity for definite RHD (97.9%). With a prevalence of 4% and subsequent STAND screening of positive HAND studies, this would reduce STAND studies by 80% from a STAND-based screening strategy. Conclusions In resource-limited settings, HAND with simplified criteria can detect RHD with good sensitivity and specificity and decrease the need for standard echocardiography. Further study is needed to validate screening by local practitioners and long-term outcomes.
KW - Aortic insufficiency
KW - Handheld echocardiography
KW - Mitral regurgitation
KW - Rheumatic heart disease
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84926163662&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84926163662&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.echo.2015.01.001
DO - 10.1016/j.echo.2015.01.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 25660669
AN - SCOPUS:84926163662
SN - 0894-7317
VL - 28
SP - 463
EP - 469
JO - Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography
JF - Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography
IS - 4
ER -