New pocket echocardiography device is interchangeable with high-end portable system when performed by experienced examiners

Background: Cardiovascular status is a crucial determinant in the pre‐operative assessment of patients for surgery as well as for the handling of patients with acute illness. We hypothesized that focus‐assessed transthoracic echocardiography (FATE) could be performed with the subject in the semi‐recumbent position. The aim was also to test whether the image quality of Vscan is interchangeable with a conventional high‐quality portable echocardiography system. Furthermore, we evaluated the time needed to achieve an interpretable four‐chamber view and to complete a full FATE examination. Methods: Sixty‐one subjects were included. All subjects were examined in accordance with the FATE protocol in the semi‐recumbent position on two different systems: the novel Vscan pocket device and the high‐quality portable Vivid i system. Two evaluations were performed. In group A (n=30), the focus was on image quality. In group B (n=31), the focus was on the time consumed. Results: Group A: All patients (100%) had at least one image suitable for interpretation and no significant difference in image quality (P=0.32) was found between the two different systems. Group B: The mean value for the total time consumed for a full FATE was 69.3 s (59.8–78.8) on the Vscan and 63.7s (56.7–70.8) on the Vivid i, with no significant difference among the scanners (P=0.08). Conclusion: The Vscan displays image quality interchangeable with larger and more expensive systems. The apparatus is well suited for performing a FATE examination in a 1‐day surgery setting and could very well also be applicable in almost any situation involving patients with acute illness.