Joshua R Francis, Helen Fairhurst, Jennifer Yan, Anferida Fernandes Monteiro, Anne-Marie Lee, Joaquina Maurays, Alex Kaethner, Gillian A Whalley, Hilary Hardefeldt, Jacqui Williamson, James Marangou, Benjamin Reeves, Gavin Wheaton, Terry Robertson, Ari Horton, James Cush, Vicki Wade, Andre Monteiro, Anthony D K Draper, Peter S Morris, Anna P Ralph, Bo Remenyi
INTRODUCTION: Early detection of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) through echocardiographic screening can facilitate early access to effective treatment which reduces the risk of progression. Accurate, feasible approaches to echocardiographic screening that can be incorporated into routine health services are needed. We hypothesized that offsite expert review could improve the diagnostic accuracy of non-expert obtained echocardiographic images. METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of health-worker conducted single parasternal-long-axis-view-sweep of the heart (SPLASH) using hand-carried ultrasound (HCU) for the detection of RHD in high-risk populations in Timor-Leste and Australia...
February 17, 2023: Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography