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Does the Addition of M-Mode to B-Mode Ultrasound Increase the Accuracy of Identification of Lung Sliding in Traumatic
Jacob Avila1, Ben Smith2, Therese Mead3
1Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Objectives:
It is unknown whether the addition of M-mode to B-mode ultrasound (US) has any effect on the overall accuracy of interpretation of lung sliding in the evaluation of a pneumothorax by emergency physicians. This study aimed to determine what effect, if any, this addition has on US interpretation by emergency physicians of varying training levels.
Methods:
One hundred forty emergency physicians were randomized via online software to receive a quiz with B-mode clips alone or B-mode with corresponding M-mode images and asked to identify the presence or absence of lung sliding.
Results:
The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the diagnosis of lung sliding with and without M-mode US were compared. Overall, the sensitivities, specificities, and accuracies of B-mode + M-mode US versus B-mode US alone were 93.1% and 93.2% (P = .8), 96.0% and 89.8% (P < .0001), and 91.5% and 94.5% (P = .0091), respectively. A subgroup analysis showed that in those providers with fewer than 250 total US scans done previously, M-mode US increased accuracy from 88.2% (95% confidence interval, 86.2%-90.2%) to 94.4% (92.8%-96.0%; P = .001) and increased the specificity from 87.0% (84.5%-89.5%) to 97.2% (95.4%-99.0%; P < .0001) compared with B-mode US alone. There was no statistically significant difference observed in the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of B-mode + M-mode US compared with B-mode US alone in those with more than 250 scans.
Conclusions:
The addition of M-mode images to B-mode clips aids in the accurate diagnosis of lung sliding by emergency physicians. The subgroup analysis showed that the benefit of M-mode US disappears after emergency physicians have performed more than 250 US examinations.
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