ECHOS survey on echocardiography in Serbia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Autor: Krljanac Gordana, Stefanović Maja, Mladenović Zorica, Deljanin-Ilić Marina, Janićijević Aleksandra, Stefanović Milica, Trifunović-Zamaklar Danijela, Nešković Aleksandar N., Stanković Ivan
Jazyk: English<br />Serbian
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: Srpski Arhiv za Celokupno Lekarstvo, Vol 148, Iss 9-10, Pp 590-593 (2020)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 0370-8179
2406-0895
DOI: 10.2298/SARH200606075K
Popis: Introduction/Objective. The purpose of the current Echocardiographic Society of Serbia (ECHOS) survey was to assess echocardiography practice in Serbia during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods. An online survey consisting of 12 questions about the usa of echocardiography, the availability of portable ultrasound devices and personal protective equipment (PPE) was sent to all ECHOS members. Results. Overall, 126 ECHOS members (43%) answered the survey. One-third of respondents (36%) were physicians from specialized COVID-19 centers. During the pandemic, indications for echocardiographic examination were restricted in both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 centers. In COVID-19 centers, 41% of respondents performed lung ultrasound to each patient versus 26% in non-COVID-19 centers. Transesophageal echocardiography was not performed in suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases in any center. Portable ultrasound devices were available to 66% of respondents from COVID-19 versus 44% of respondents from non-COVID-19 centers (p = 0.018). The respondents reported regular use of PPE, regardless of the patient’s COVID-19 status and found their personal knowledge about protective measures and use of PPE satisfactory. Conclusion. During the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia, indications for echocardiography were restricted to clinical scenarios in which the results of examination were expected to alter patient management. In both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 centers, the use of PPE was in line with national and international recommendations. A wider availability of portable ultrasound devices and application of lung ultrasound could improve patient management in similar situations in the future.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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