Lung ultrasound: A comparison of image interpretation accuracy between curvilinear and phased array transducers
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AbstractIntroductionBoth curvilinear and phased array transducers are commonly used to perform lung ultrasound (LUS). This study seeks to compare LUS interpretation accuracy of images obtained using a curvilinear transducer with those obtained using a phased array transducer.MethodsWe invited 166 internists and trainees to interpret 16 LUS images/cineloops of eight patients in an online survey: eight curvilinear and eight phased array, performed on the same lung location. Images depicted normal lung, pneumothorax, pleural irregularities, consolidation/hepatisation, pleural effusions and B‐lines. Primary outcome for each participant is the difference in image interpretation accuracy scores between the two transducers.ResultsA total of 112 (67%) participants completed the survey. The mean paired accuracy score difference between the curvilinear and phased array images was 3.0% (95% CI: 0.6 to 5.4%, P = 0.015). For novices, scores were higher on curvilinear images (mean difference: 5.4%, 95% CI: 0.9 to 9.9%, P = 0.020). For non‐novices, there were no differences between the two transducers (mean difference: 1.4%, 95% CI: −1.1 to 3.9%, P = 0.263). For pleural‐based findings, the mean of the paired differences between transducers was higher in the novice group (estimated mean difference‐in‐differences: 9.5%, 95% CI: 0.6 to 18.4%; P = 0.036). No difference in mean accuracies was noted between novices and non‐novices for non‐pleural‐based pathologies (estimated mean difference‐in‐differences: 0.6%, 95% CI to 5.4–6.6%; P = 0.837).ConclusionsLung ultrasound images obtained using the curvilinear transducer are associated with higher interpretation accuracy than the phased array transducer. This is especially true for novices interpreting pleural‐based pathologies.
