Department of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Institute for Medical Biometry, Informatics and Epidemiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2024 Oct;103(10):2031-2041. doi: 10.1111/aogs.14922. Epub 2024 Jul 20.
The emergence of handheld ultrasound devices capable of connecting to cell phones or tablets heralds a significant advancement in medical technology, particularly within the field of obstetrics. These devices offer the promise of immediate bedside ultrasound examinations, potentially revolutionizing patient care by enabling fetal assessments in diverse settings.
This prospective study aimed to validate the reliability of non-piezo, chip-based handheld ultrasound devices in clinical obstetric practice. Conducted in a university hospital obstetric ward, the study included 100 pregnant women between 17 and 41 weeks of gestation. Participants underwent ultrasound examinations using both conventional and portable point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) devices to compare the accuracy in estimating fetal weight and other parameters, such as cardiac activity, fetal presentation, placental location, and amniotic fluid volume. The reliability and agreement between the devices were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients, Bland-Altman plots, and Pearson correlation coefficients.
The results show a near-perfect agreement (0.98) and correlation (r = 0.98, p < 0.001) for estimated fetal weight and most biometry measurements between the two types of ultrasound devices, with slight deviations in head circumference and amniotic fluid index measurements. Subgroup analysis revealed variations in agreement and correlation rates with higher BMI and advanced gestational age, indicating areas for further refinement.
These findings affirm the high reliability of handheld ultrasound devices for basic obstetric ultrasound evaluations, supporting their integration into daily clinical practice. This technology improves the flexibility and immediacy of prenatal care, although further research is needed to optimize its application across patient populations and treatment settings.
能够与手机或平板电脑连接的手持式超声设备的出现标志着医学技术的重大进步，特别是在妇产科领域。这些设备有望实现即时床边超声检查，通过在各种环境下进行胎儿评估，可能彻底改变患者护理方式。
本前瞻性研究旨在验证非压电、基于芯片的手持式超声设备在临床妇产科实践中的可靠性。该研究在一所大学附属医院的妇产科病房进行，纳入了 100 名 17 至 41 孕周的孕妇。参与者接受了常规和便携式即时超声检查（POCUS），使用两种超声设备来比较评估胎儿体重和其他参数（如心脏活动、胎儿位置、胎盘位置和羊水体积）的准确性。使用组内相关系数、Bland-Altman 图和 Pearson 相关系数评估设备的可靠性和一致性。
结果显示，两种超声设备在估计胎儿体重和大多数生物测量值方面具有近乎完美的一致性（0.98）和相关性（r=0.98，p<0.001），但头围和羊水指数测量值略有偏差。亚组分析显示，在较高 BMI 和较高孕龄时，一致性和相关性率存在差异，表明需要进一步改进。
这些发现证实了手持式超声设备在基本产科超声评估中的高可靠性，支持将其纳入日常临床实践。这项技术提高了产前护理的灵活性和即时性，但需要进一步研究来优化其在患者人群和治疗环境中的应用。
