Investigating infective endocarditis: teaching hospitals to choose wisely

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is crucial for diagnosing infective endocarditis (IE).
• Inefficient patient selection for TTE increases healthcare burdens.
• Optimizing TTE utilization is essential for cost-effective patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of cardiology consultant vetting in reducing unnecessary TTE scans for suspected IE.
• To assess the impact of pre-scan review on echocardiography service efficiency.

Main Methods:

• A six-month review of inpatient TTE requests for suspected IE.
• Clinical and pathological data were assessed by cardiology consultants.
• Requests were categorized as accepted, deferred, or rejected.

Main Results:

• Out of 103 TTE requests, only 39 (38%) were accepted for scanning.
• Four cases of IE were confirmed via TTE.
• 62% of requests were rejected, with no subsequent IE diagnoses.

Conclusions:

• Cardiology consultant vetting of TTE requests for suspected IE is effective.
• This process significantly reduces unnecessary scans, ensuring patient safety.
• Vetting streamlines echocardiography services and promotes cost-effectiveness.