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The Use of Portable Devices in Emergency Medicine

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A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Point-of-Care Diagnostics and Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024 | Viewed by 4352

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Junko Yamaguchi

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Guest Editor

Division of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Acute Medicine, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan
Interests: emergency medicine; critical care; disaster medicine; nutrition support; intervention radiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rapid advances in portable devices have revolutionized the field of emergency medicine. From smartphones to wearables, these devices offer immense potential for enhancing patient care, diagnostic accuracy, emergency medicine education and medical information management. This Special Issue, ‘The Use of Portable Devices in Emergency Medicine,’ aims to explore the latest research, developments, and applications of portable devices in the dynamic domain of medicine. It will delve into the diverse aspects of portable device utilization in the emergency medicine setting, from remote triage and real-time monitoring to point-of-care testing and telemedicine. By gathering interdisciplinary research, innovative methodologies, and case studies, this Special Issue seeks to provide insights into the potential benefits, challenges, and ethical considerations associated with the integration of mobile devices into emergency medicine.

Dr. Junko Yamaguchi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

portable devices
emergency medicine
smartphone applications
wearable technology
diagnostic accuracy
remote triage
real-time monitoring
emergency medicine education
point-of-care testing
telemedicine

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 923 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Artificial Intelligence-Based Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction by Medical Students for Mortality and Readmission Prediction

by Ziv Dadon, Moshe Rav Acha, Amir Orlev, Shemy Carasso, Michael Glikson, Shmuel Gottlieb and Evan Avraham Alpert

Diagnostics 2024, 14(7), 767; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14070767 - 04 Apr 2024

Viewed by 601

Abstract

Introduction: Point-of-care ultrasound has become a universal practice, employed by physicians across various disciplines, contributing to diagnostic processes and decision-making. Aim: To assess the association of reduced (<50%) left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) based on prospective point-of-care ultrasound operated by medical students using an artificial intelligence (AI) tool and 1-year primary composite outcome, including mortality and readmission for cardiovascular-related causes. Methods: Eight trained medical students used a hand-held ultrasound device (HUD) equipped with an AI-based tool for automatic evaluation of the LVEF of non-selected patients hospitalized in a cardiology department from March 2019 through March 2020. Results: The study included 82 patients (72 males aged 58.5 ± 16.8 years), of whom 34 (41.5%) were diagnosed with AI-based reduced LVEF. The rates of the composite outcome were higher among patients with reduced systolic function compared to those with preserved LVEF (41.2% vs. 16.7%, p = 0.014). Adjusting for pertinent variables, reduced LVEF independently predicted the composite outcome (HR 2.717, 95% CI 1.083–6.817, p = 0.033). As compared to those with LVEF ≥ 50%, patients with reduced LVEF had a longer length of stay and higher rates of the secondary composite outcome, including in-hospital death, advanced ventilatory support, shock, and acute decompensated heart failure. Conclusion: AI-based assessment of reduced systolic function in the hands of medical students, independently predicted 1-year mortality and cardiovascular-related readmission and was associated with unfavorable in-hospital outcomes. AI utilization by novice users may be an important tool for risk stratification for hospitalized patients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use of Portable Devices in Emergency Medicine)

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11 pages, 1875 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ultrasound on the Frontlines: Empowering Paramedics with Lung Ultrasound for Dyspnea Diagnosis in Adults—A Pilot Study

by Damian Kowalczyk, Miłosz Turkowiak, Wojciech Jerzy Piotrowski, Oskar Rosiak and Adam Jerzy Białas

Diagnostics 2023, 13(22), 3412; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13223412 - 09 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1050

Abstract

Lung transthoracic ultrasound (LUS) is an accessible and widely applicable method of rapidly imaging certain pathologies in the thorax. LUS proves to be an optimal tool in respiratory emergency medicine, applicable in various clinical settings. However, despite the rapid development of bedside ultrasonography, or point-of-care (POCUS) ultrasound, there remains a scarcity of knowledge about the use of LUS in pre-hospital settings. Therefore, our aim was to assess the usefulness of LUS as an additional tool in diagnosing dyspnea when performed by experienced paramedics in real-life, pre-hospital settings. Participants were recruited consecutively among patients who called for an emergency due to dyspnea in the Warsaw region of Poland. All the enrolled patients were admitted to the Emergency Department (ED). In the prehospital setting, a paramedic experienced in LUS conducted an ultrasonographic examination of the thorax, including Bedside Lung Ultrasound in Emergency (BLUE) and extended Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (eFAST) protocols. The paramedic’s diagnosis was compared to the ED diagnosis, and if available, to the final diagnosis established on the day of discharge from the hospital. We enrolled 44 patients in the study, comprising 22 (50%) men and (50%) women with a median age of 76 (IQR: 69.75–84.5) years. The LUS performed by paramedic was concordant with the discharge diagnosis in 90.91% of cases, where the final diagnosis was established on the day of discharge from the hospital. In cases where the patient was treated only in the ED, the pre-hospital LUS was concordant with the ED diagnosis in 88.64% of cases. The mean time of the LUS examination was 63.66 s (SD: 19.22). The inter-rater agreement between the pre-hospital diagnosis and ER diagnosis based on pre-hospital LUS and complete ER evaluation was estimated at k = 0.822 (SE: 0.07; 95%CI: 0.68, 0.96), indicating strong agreement, and between the pre-hospital diagnosis based on LUS and final discharge diagnosis, it was estimated at k = 0.934 (SE: 0.03; 95%CI: 0.88, 0.99), indicating almost perfect agreement. In conclusion, paramedic-acquired LUS seems to be a useful tool in the pre-hospital differential diagnosis of dyspnea in adults. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use of Portable Devices in Emergency Medicine)

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Other

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14 pages, 654 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Efficacy of Handheld Ultrasound in Medical Education: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Narrative Analysis

by Mariam Haji-Hassan, Roxana-Denisa Capraș and Sorana D. Bolboacă

Diagnostics 2023, 13(24), 3665; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13243665 (registering DOI) - 14 Dec 2023

Viewed by 945

Abstract

Miniaturization has made ultrasound (US) technology ultraportable and, in association with their relatively low cost, made handheld devices attractive for medical education training programs. However, performing an ultrasound requires complex skills, and it is unclear whether handheld devices are suitable for the training of novices. Our study aimed to identify to what extent handheld US devices can be employed in medical undergraduates’ and residents’ education. We selected studies that evaluate the results obtained by students and/or residents who have participated in ultrasound training programs using handheld devices. The studies were included if they reported post-test (pre-test optional) achievements or a comparison with a control group (a group of experts or novices who underwent a different intervention). Twenty-six studies were selected, and their characteristics were summarized. Handheld ultrasound devices were used in training programs to learn echocardiography, abdominal, and/or musculoskeletal ultrasound. Statistically significant progress was noted in the ability of naïve participants to capture and interpret ultrasound images, but training duration influenced the outcomes. While ultrasound training using handheld devices has proven to be feasible for various body regions and purposes (e.g., better understanding of anatomy, clinical applications, etc.), the long-term impacts of handheld education interventions must be considered in addition to the short-term results to outline guidelines for targeted educational needs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use of Portable Devices in Emergency Medicine)

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12 pages, 2682 KiB

Open AccessViewpoint

Progress in the Application of Portable Ultrasound Combined with Artificial Intelligence in Pre-Hospital Emergency and Disaster Sites

by Xing Gao, Qi Lv and Shike Hou

Diagnostics 2023, 13(21), 3388; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13213388 - 06 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1311

Abstract

With the miniaturization of ultrasound and the development of artificial intelligence, its application in disaster scenes and pre-hospital emergency care has become more and more common. This study summarizes the literature on portable ultrasound in pre-hospital emergency and disaster scene treatment in the past decade and reviews the development and application of portable ultrasound. Portable ultrasound diagnostic equipment can be used to diagnose abdominal bleeding, limb fracture, hemopneumothorax, pericardial effusion, etc., based on which trauma can be diagnosed pre-hospital and provide guiding suggestions for the next triage and rescue; in early rescue, portable ultrasound can guide emergency operations, such as tracheal intubation, pericardial cavity puncture, and thoracic and abdominal puncture as well as improve the accuracy and timeliness of operation techniques. In addition, with the development of artificial intelligence (AI), AI-assisted diagnosis can improve the diagnosis level of ultrasound at disaster sites. The portable ultrasound diagnosis system equipped with an AI robotic arm can maximize the pre-screening classification and fast and concise diagnosis and treatment of batch casualties, thus providing a reliable basis for batch casualty classification and evacuation at disaster accident sites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use of Portable Devices in Emergency Medicine)

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