The results obtained with bTTE did not affect the course of treatment. However, we have attempted to analyze what possible diagnostic benefit or misdiagnosis could such examination provide. For this reason, the recorded findings of bTTE were then compared with the results of sTTE. Subsequently, www.selleckchem.com/products/Dasatinib.html the patients' documentation was analyzed in order to assess whether bTTE provided any additional (compared to patient's history and physical examination), clinically significant information. If such additional, clinically significant findings of bTTE were not confirmed by sTTE, these findings were classified as significantly misleading. Results were analyzed separately in 4 subgroups of patients: group A (n=30 patients) and B (n=30 patients) were respectively first and second halves of cardiac intensive care patients examined by students, group C (n=30 patients) consisted of cardiac intensive care patients examined by an experienced echocardiographer and group D (n=30 patients) �C out-patients examined by students. Continuous and categorical variables are expressed as mean �� SD and as percentages (%), respectively. Kappa statistics were used to determine the concordance between bTTE and sTTE findings. Kappa value 0.81 to 1.0 was considered as a very good strength of agreement, 0.61�C0.80�Cgood, 0.41�C0.60�Cmoderate, 0.21�C0.40�Cfair and <0.2 as a poor strength of agreement. Mean time of bTTE in groups A, B, C and D was 6.3��1.5 minutes, 5.4��1.1 minutes, 2.8��1.2 minutes and 4.7��1.1 minutes, respectively (all differences observed between groups were statistically significant). The quality of images <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PTPRJ">PTPRJ in groups A and B were described as acceptable in 39 (65%) patients, good in 20 (33.3%) patients, whereas 1 (1.7%) patient (from group A) was excluded from analysis due to student's inability to acquire images of sufficient quality. In group D, acceptable and good quality images were obtained in 17 (56.7%) and 13 (43.3%) patients, respectively. The experienced echocardiographer (group C) obtained images of good and acceptable quality in 19 (63.3%) and 11 (36.7%) patients, respectively. The vast majority (107/120, Afatinib 89.2%) of the patients had abnormal examinations. There were only 7 (7.8%) completely normal examinations in the in-patients group (A, B and C) and 6 (20%) normal examinations in group D. Agreement between sTTE (considered in this case as a golden standard) and major findings on bTTE performed with a pocket echocardiograph is presented in Tab. 1. In group A, the agreement was fair to moderate (kappa values ranging from 0.293 to 0.57), whereas in group B the agreement was moderate to very good (kappa values ranging from 0.535 to 1.00). Similarly the agreement in group D was moderate to very good (kappa values ranging from 0.590 to 1.00). In group C, the agreement was good to very good (kappa values ranging from 0.734 to 1.00).
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