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The Ultrasound Journal

Table 3 Ranking of cardiac ultrasound applications according to prevalence, impact and difficulty

From: Cardiac ultrasound in resource-limited settings (CURLS): towards a wider use of basic echo applications in Africa

Echocardiographic finding

Prevalence (P)

Impact (I)

Difficulty (D)

PxIxD

Rank

LV hypertrophy

3

2

2

12

1

Rheumatic mitral disease (stenosis suggested by large LA)

2

2

3

12

1

Cardiomyopathy, severe

3

2

2

12

1

Cor pulmonale

2

2

3

12

1

Pericardial effusion

1

3

3

9

2

Regurgitation (MV, AV, TV by color Doppler)

2

2

2

8

3

Rheumatic mitral stenosis (valve morphology only)

2

2

1

4

4

Rheumatic aortic stenosis (valve morphology only)

2

2

1

2

4

Endocarditis (large vegetations seen on TTE)

1

2

2

4

4

RV function grading (e.g., TAPSE)

2

2

1

4

4

Mitral stenosis grading (PHT)

2

2

1

4

4

Aortic stenosis grading (continuation equation)

2

2

1

4

4

Regional hypokinesia

2

2

1

4

4

LV function grading (e.g., ejection fraction)

3

1

1

3

5

Endocarditis (TEE)

1

2

1

2

6

Endomyocardial fibrosis

1

1

2

2

6

Congenital heart diseases

1

2

1

2

6

Pulmonary artery pressure (dTR)

2

1

1

2

6

  1. For prevalence and impact the numbers indicate the following levels: 1 = low, 2 = medium, 3 = high. For difficulty, scoring is reversed with numbers indicating the following levels: 1 = high, 2 = medium, and 3 = low. For prevalence and impact the numbers indicate the following levels: 1 = low, 2 = medium, 3 = high. For difficulty scoring is reversed with numbers indicating the following levels: 1 = high, 2 = medium, and 3 = low. This allows for a composite score where the higher numbers correspond to increasing relevance and applicability of POCUS
  2. LV left ventricular, LA left atrium, MV mitral valve, AV aortic valve, TV tricuspid valve, TEE transesophageal echocardiogram, RV right ventricle, TAPSE tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, PHT pressure half-time, dTR pressure gradient measured in tricuspid regurgitation
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