Gorcsan John
Division of Cardiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
Echocardiography. 2003 Jul;20(5):463-9. doi: 10.1046/j.1540-8175.2003.03082.x.
Although the stethoscope has been an important part of the bedside cardiac diagnostic examination for generations of physicians, this clinical tool has been relatively unchanged in over 150 years. Echocardiography is established as an essential diagnostic imaging method for patients with known or suspected cardiovascular diseases. However, routine echocardiography systems are large and heavy, and although they are portable, they remain inconvenient for bedside patient rounds. Technologic advances have resulted in miniaturization of electronic components and small, lightweight ultrasound systems have been recently introduced. These hand-carried units offer clinically acceptable two-dimensional image quality for rapid "quick-look" bedside diagnostics, in particular focusing on global and regional left ventricular function and presence or absence of pericardial effusion. This article proposes a general approach to the rapid hand-carried ultrasound cardiac exam as an extension of the physical examination. It details case examples and reviews the initial clinical experience of hand-carried ultrasound on cardiac consultation rounds. Hand-carried ultrasound has promise to have an immediate impact on bedside patient management though expediting and facilitating the delivery of medical care.
尽管听诊器几代以来一直是床边心脏诊断检查的重要组成部分，但这种临床工具在150多年里相对没有变化。超声心动图已成为已知或疑似心血管疾病患者的重要诊断成像方法。然而，常规超声心动图系统体积大、重量重，虽然它们便于携带，但在床边查房时仍不方便。技术进步导致电子元件小型化，最近已推出小型、轻便的超声系统。这些手持式设备提供临床上可接受的二维图像质量，用于快速“快速查看”床边诊断，尤其侧重于整体和局部左心室功能以及心包积液的有无。本文提出了一种将快速手持式超声心脏检查作为体格检查延伸的通用方法。它详细介绍了病例示例，并回顾了手持式超声在心脏会诊中的初步临床经验。手持式超声有望通过加快和促进医疗服务的提供，对床边患者管理产生直接影响。
