Pocket Sized Early Echo in Dyspnoea in the ED

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Can an Early Pocket sized ECHO Improve Outcomes in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department with Dyspnoea of Unknown Cause?

  • IRAS ID

    199156

  • Contact name

    Anna Colclough

  • Contact email

    annacolclough@nhs.net

  • Sponsor organisation

    Imperial College and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 2 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    The Study aims to establish whether using early pocket sized Echocardiography (Heart Ultrasound)in conjunction with an algorithm-style decision making tool can improve the outcomes of patients who attend the Emergency department with acute Shortness of breath.
    A doctor with experience in performing the scans and has undergone a quality control project will be performing the scans on patients in the emergency department. Patients who arrive at the emergency department with acute shortness of breath will be randomized into the control or intervention group. Those in the intervention group will have a bedside Echo performed and results relayed via a paper copy of the algorithm which will be placed in the patient notes for use by the reviewing Emergency Department doctor who will decide how to treat the patient. Usual emergency department investigations will also be performed in both arms of the trial. The patient will be followed up for 30 days in order to establish a number of outcomes; time to treatment, Time to specialist referral, Time to decision to admit, In hospital Mortality, 30 day mortality and complications.

  • REC name

    Wales REC 7

  • REC reference

    16/WA/0158

  • Date of REC Opinion

    6 Jun 2016

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion