Point-of-Care Ultrasound for the Detection of Vascular Access Site Complications—The ULTRASITCOM Study

Abstract

Background

Recent technological advancements have expanded access to ultrasound technology. Invasive cardiac procedures come with risks of vascular access complications, necessitating efficient detection methods for dangerous complications such as pseudoaneurysms. Current clinical practice has relied on physical examination, and often requires formal diagnostic imaging to diagnose these complications. The ULTRAsound Assessment of Access SITe COMplications study assessed the diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) as an adjunct to physical examination for the detection of pseudoaneurysms following invasive cardiac procedures.

Methods

We conducted a single-center study that enrolled patients who underwent invasive cardiovascular procedures with suspected access site complications. Cardiology fellows were trained on the use of POCUS by a radiologist with expertise in vascular imaging. The primary outcome focused on the diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of combined clinical and POCUS assessments compared to Doppler ultrasound or computed tomography.

Results

Among 111 participants, most were female (59.5%), with a mean age of 72.2 years, and with transfemoral access being most prevalent (67.6%). A total of 15 participants were found to have a pseudoaneurysm on formal diagnostic imaging. The combined clinical and POCUS assessments were highly sensitive and demonstrated superior DOR for detecting pseudoaneurysms compared to the physical examination alone (DOR 42.6 [95% CI, 34.6-50.6] vs 15.6 [95% CI, 11.7-19.5]; P < .01).

Conclusions

Point-of-care ultrasound is a highly sensitive tool for detecting pseudoaneurysms following invasive cardiovascular procedures. These findings suggest the potential integration of POCUS into routine practice, which could result in timely complication identification and management, thereby improving patient outcomes and reducing health care costs.