Sources and magnitude of variation of echocardiographic measurements in normal standardbred horses.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the intraobserver variation of various echocardiographic measures in standardbred trotters. Serial echocardiographic examinations were carried out on eight standardbred mares by one ultrasonographer for 5 separate days. During each examination, five nonconsecutive cardiac cycles (frames) were recorded and an average obtained for each individual measure. Various echocardiographic measures were obtained by use of two-dimensional (2-D), M-mode, color flow Doppler and pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography. The total variation in the echocardiographic measurements was split into three levels: the variation between horses, the day-to-day variation within individual horses, and finally the variation within horse on the same day of examination (intercardiac cycle variation). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated for each measure. The ICC represents the variability of the measurements because of differences between the horses. In general the 2-D, M-mode and color flow Doppler measures had higher ICC values (ICC from 0.63 to 0.95) than the pulsed wave Doppler measures (ICC from 0.24 to 0.46), and the former measures were more repeatable than the pulsed wave measures. Exceptions to that were left ventricular free wall in diastole, the pulmonary artery in systole and the left ventricular mass, which all had low repeatability (ICC from 0.22 to 0.49). The results were used to calculate the relative differences that must be detected to diagnose a statistically significant change between two measurements in an individual horse. Differences from 4.2% to 21.8% must be achieved to document significant changes between serial measurements. A general tendency is that the color flow and pulsed wave Doppler measures require a larger relative difference (11.4-21.8%) between the measures to point out statistically significant cardiac changes than the 2-D and M-mode measures (4.2-13.9%).
Publication Date: 2004-12-21 PubMed ID: 15605839DOI: 10.1111/j.1740-8261.2004.04086.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research investigates the variability of echocardiographic measurements in standardbred trotters. By considering factors like differences between horses, day-to-day variations and variations within a single day, they determined changes needed to confirm a significant difference in repeated measures.
Research Methodology
- The researchers conducted repeated echocardiographic tests on eight standardbred mares over the course of five days. A single ultrasonographer performed all examinations.
- During each test, five nonconsecutive cardiac cycles were recorded to average the result of each individual measure.
- Echocardiographic measures were collected using various techniques including two-dimensional (2-D), M-mode, color flow Doppler, and pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography.
- The total variation in the measurements was classified in three levels: the difference between horses, the day-to-day variation within individual horses, and variation within a horse on the same day.
Determining the Variation
- The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated for each measure. ICC is statistical method used here to quantify the amount of variation in measurements due to differences between horses.
- The researchers found that 2-D, M-mode and color flow Doppler measurements generally showed higher ICC values, therefore more consistency, compared to pulsed-wave Doppler measures.
- However, measurements such as left ventricular free wall in diastole, the pulmonary artery in systole, and the left ventricular mass displayed low repeatability indicating inconsistency.
Implications of the Study
- Based on the observed variations, the researchers calculated the relative differences that must be detected to diagnose a statistically significant change between two measurements in an individual horse.
- Differences between 4.2% to 21.8% were necessary to document significant changes between serial measurements.
- In general, measurements obtained from color flow and pulsed wave Doppler required a larger relative difference between measurements (11.4-21.8%) to point out statistically significant cardiac changes than 2-D and M-mode measurements (4.2-13.9%).
Conclusion
- This study provides insights into the degree of variation in echocardiographic measurements between horses, within individual horses across days, and within a single day.
- The findings provide veterinarians a way to distinguish significant differences in echocardiographic readings, which could be key in diagnosing potential heart issues in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Buhl R, Ersbøll AK, Eriksen L, Koch J.
(2004).
Sources and magnitude of variation of echocardiographic measurements in normal standardbred horses.
Vet Radiol Ultrasound, 45(6), 505-512.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-8261.2004.04086.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Large Animal Sciences, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, 88 Dyrlaegevej, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. rib@kvl.dk
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Echocardiography, Doppler, Color / veterinary
- Female
- Heart / physiology
- Horses / physiology
- Reference Values
- Reproducibility of Results
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Bahadormanesh N, Tomka B, Abdelkhalek M, Khodaei S, Maftoon N, Keshavarz-Motamed Z. A Doppler-exclusive non-invasive computational diagnostic framework for personalized transcatheter aortic valve replacement.. Sci Rep 2023 May 17;13(1):8033.
- Abbott JA, Gentile-Solomon JM. Measurement Variation and Repeatability of Echocardiographic Variables Used to Estimate Pulmonary Artery Pressure in Dogs.. J Vet Intern Med 2017 Nov;31(6):1622-1628.
- Decloedt A, Schwarzwald CC, De Clercq D, Van Der Vekens N, Pardon B, Reef VB, van Loon G. Risk factors for recurrence of atrial fibrillation in horses after cardioversion to sinus rhythm.. J Vet Intern Med 2015 May-Jun;29(3):946-53.
- Michlik KM, Biazik AK, Henklewski RZ, Szmigielska MA, Nicpoń JM, Pasławska U. Quadricuspid aortic valve and a ventricular septal defect in a horse.. BMC Vet Res 2014 Jun 30;10:142.
- Leroux AA, Farnir F, Moonen ML, Sandersen CF, Deleuze S, Amory H. Repeatability, variability and reference values of pulsed wave Doppler echocardiographic measurements in healthy Saanen goats.. BMC Vet Res 2012 Oct 16;8:190.
- Hallowell GD, Potter TJ, Bowen IM. Reliability of quantitative echocardiography in adult sheep and goats.. BMC Vet Res 2012 Sep 27;8:181.
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