Akkaya A, Yesilaras M, Aksay E, et. al. The interrater reliability of ultrasound imaging of the inferior vena cava performed by emergency residents. Am J Emerg Med. 2013 Sept;3(10): 1509 – 1511.
Abstract
Objectives
Methods
One hundred eighty US examinations were performed on 90 emergency critical care unit patients by 6 emergency medicine residents. Minimum and maximum IVC diameters during normal passive inspiration were measured, and the IVC index was calculated. The interrater reliability of the measurable data was analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficients.
Results
The measurements of minimum and maximum IVC diameters were moderately reliable by emergency residents (κ = 0.60 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.45-0.72] and κ = 0.56 [95% CI, 0.41-0.69], respectively). In the patients with moderate IVC depth (8.5-12.5 cm), the interrater reliabilities of sonographers were κ = 0.51 (95% CI, 0.30-0.67) for maximum diameter and κ = 0.43 (95% CI, 0.21-0.61) for minimum diameter. In patients with superficial (≤8.5 cm) and profound located (≥12.5 cm) IVC, the interrater reliabilities of sonographers for maximum and minimum diameters were κ = 0.69 (95% CI, 0.29-0.89) and κ = 0.75 (95% CI, 0.4-0.91), and κ = 0.58 (95% CI, 0.09-0.85) and κ = 0.76 (95% CI, 0.39-0.92), respectively.
Conclusions
The measurement of the IVC is moderately reliable by emergency residents. The interrater reliability of measurements in patients with profound and superficial located IVC is higher than that of measurements in patients with moderate-depth located IVC.
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SonoSim Keywords: Ultrasound, Vascular, IVC, Emergency Medicine