Fetal Advanced Speckle Tracking - FAST-I
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Fetal Advanced Speckle Tracking for the Assessment of Cardiac Function (Fetal Advanced Speckle Tracking) FAST-I Study
IRAS ID
320779
Contact name
Hatem (Tommy) Mousa
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
This is a prospective cross-sectional observational pilot study to assess the feasibility of using speckle tracking offline analysis software for the assessment of fetal cardiac function. Speckle tracking is a method that assesses the motion of the wall of the heart. Measurements are acquired on the four-chamber view of the fetal heart which is acquired in all fetal scans. The technique is in use for the assessment of the adult heart. However, it has not been widely used in the assessment of the fetal heart. Speckle tracking could potentially give a wealth of information on fetal heart size, shape, and function. Offline speckle tracking analysis will be carried out by two trained sonographers from stored acquisitions made routinely during ultrasound examination of the fetus during pregnancy. These images will be obtained by trained sonographers, fetal cardiologists, and fetal medicine consultants. A new software technology, Voluson Fetal HQ, which is already installed on our ultrasound machines, will be used. This software requires tracing of the right and left ventricle plus cross-sectional measurements of the fetal heart to enable speckle tracking analysis to be carried out. These measurements will be made using stored images and video clips at the end of the clinic and it does not interfere with patient care. We are including pregnant women with known fetal cardiac problems (arrhythmia, disproportion between the chamber sizes of the heart, or cardiac defect). Results will be compared to gestational-aged matched controls with normal fetal echo. Our primary objective is to find out if using offline speckle tracking software technology could help us to identify a profile for fetuses with cardiac dysfunction.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/EM/0265
Date of REC Opinion
4 Jan 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion