Skip to main content
SLU publication database (SLUpub)

Doctoral thesis2024Open access

Echoes Across the Globe: Insights into Left Atrial Size Assessment in Dogs and Cats : preferences, measurements, and observer variation among veterinary echocardiographers

Kuo, Momo Yu-Wen

Abstract

Echocardiographic assessment of left atrial (LA) size is important for screening, characterizing, and monitoring heart disease in dogs and cats. Echocardiography is known to be operator-dependent, leading to potential variation in assessment of the LA size. The thesis aimed to explore similarities and differences in LA size assessment among veterinary echocardiographers. Echocardiographers from 67 countries across six continents participated in interactive web-based studies involving image- and video-based investigations. Most echocardiographers used linear two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography from a right parasternal short-axis view for LA size assessment, and indexed LA size to aortic (Ao) dimensions. Despite similar method of use, variations in image selection, timing, and caliper placement were observed. The echocardiographers’ clinical specialist status, the number of weekly echocardiograms performed, and timing affected the mean measurement and the interobserver variation of LA and LA/Ao ratio. Furthermore, the LA size also affected the interobserver variation. Interobserver agreement of subjective assessments of LA size were comparably good, but improved after having performed linear measurements. To conclude, the results presented in this thesis could help pave the way for more consistent and reliable echocardiographic assessment of LA size in veterinary medicine.

Keywords

2D echocardiography; subjective assessment; quality assessment; observer variation

Published in

Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae
2024, number: 2024:76ISBN: 978-91-8046-367-6, eISBN: 978-91-8046-403-1Publisher: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Clinical Science

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.54612/a.1fh2v0u1j5

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/130471