Written by: Hannah Conway, National FUSIC® Heart Lead | Blog Editor @ g&h BLOG
Date: 29th July 2024
Waqas Akhtar, Lenster Marshal, Helen Buglass, Thomas Billyard, Charlotte Goedvolk, Reinout Mildner, Hannah Conway, Hatem Soliman Aboumarie, Ashley Miller, Marcus Peck and Antonio Rubino
As one of the authors of the recent study published in the Journal of the Intensive Care Society, I am excited to share our findings regarding the current state of echocardiography provision in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) across the United Kingdom. This research, conducted under the oversight of National Health Service Blood & Transplant, sheds light on the feasibility and implementation of both comprehensive and focused echocardiography in critical care settings.
Why This Study Matters 📑
Echocardiography is a vital tool in the management of critically ill patients, allowing for rapid assessment of cardiac function and guiding treatment decisions. However, understanding how well this service is currently provided in UK ICUs is crucial for improving patient outcomes. Our nationwide survey collected responses from 95 hospitals across all four UK nations, providing a comprehensive overview of echocardiography capabilities.
Key Findings 🔑
1. Staffing and Training: Our survey revealed that each ICU has a median of four personnel trained in focused echocardiography, including three consultants and one registrar. This highlights the commitment to training within the critical care community.
2. Timeliness of Comprehensive Echocardiograms: We found that 48% of hospitals can perform a comprehensive echocardiogram within six hours during regular working hours. However, this capability drops significantly to just 11% outside of these hours, indicating a need for improved access during off-peak times.
3. Focused Echocardiograms: The ability to obtain focused echocardiograms is more promising, with 60% of hospitals able to do so within six hours during normal hours, but only 20% outside these hours. This disparity emphasizes the importance of having trained staff available around the clock.
4. Point-of-Care Ultrasound Availability: Impressively, 98% of responding units reported having point-of-care ultrasound machines, with a median of two machines per ICU. However, only 52% of these units can facilitate remote viewing of echocardiogram images, which could enhance collaboration and decision-making.
Implications for the Future 🔮
Our findings highlight both the strengths and areas for improvement in echocardiography provision in UK ICUs. While the availability of trained personnel and ultrasound machines is encouraging, the significant delays in obtaining comprehensive echocardiograms outside of regular hours pose challenges that need to be addressed.
Conclusion 🔚
The insights gained from this study are crucial for informing future training programs and resource allocation in intensive care settings. By enhancing the provision of echocardiography, we can ultimately improve patient care and outcomes in critical situations.
I invite you to read the full article for a deeper understanding of our findings and their implications for the future of critical care echocardiography in the UK. Together, we can work towards ensuring that every patient receives the timely and effective cardiac assessment they need.
Read the full article here 👇🏻
Thank you for your interest in our research!
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