Reproducibility, Intra- and Inter-Observer Variability of Bedside Cardiac Ultrasound Measurements in Healthy Volunteers

What this Trial Is About

This research evaluates the use of transthoracic echocardiography to measure Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Velocity-Time Integral (LVOT VTI) in healthy volunteers. LVOT VTI is a key ultrasound measurement that helps estimate important heart function parameters like stroke volume and cardiac output. The study aims to compare measurements taken by minimally trained operators with those by expert clinicians to understand measurement consistency and variability. Operators, including medical students and licensed physicians with minimal training, will perform echocardiography to measure LVOT VTI on healthy participants. The study focuses on assessing how closely these novice measurements match those by experienced operators, as well as evaluating differences between and within operators. All measurements and assessments take place on the same day, with time needed for each measurement also recorded. Participants will undergo a single evaluation where novice operators measure LVOT VTI after brief training, and their results will be compared with those from an expert operator. Researchers will assess agreement between measurements, variability among operators, and time to complete measurements. The study is observational and involves healthy adult volunteers aged 18 years or older, with no prior cardiac ultrasound experience allowed for operators.

Assessment of LVOT VTI in Healthy Volunteers