Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2025
Author Spotlight: Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Gastric Content Assessment and Risk Stratification in Perioperative Care
Published on: September 22, 2023
Understanding the learning curve of intestinal ultrasound in inflammatory bowel disease: A comparative study between
Léo Bove1, Jérémy Meyer2, Michael Collins1
1Institut des Maladies de l'Appareil Digestif (IMAD), Hépato-Gastro-Entérologie et Assistance Nutritionnelle, Inserm CIC 1413, Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, F-44000 Nantes, France.
Background:
Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) has emerged as a valuable tool for monitoring inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but its reliability depends on the technical skills of the operator.
Aims:
This study aimed to assess the IUS learning curve of a novice briefly trained to get him familiarized with the ultrasound machine and normal/abnormal IUS images, and a gastroenterologist with formal general ultrasound training and regular IUS experience (> 200 exams), using an expert radiologist as the gold standard.
Methods:
The ULTRA-IBD study was a single-center, prospective study involving 50 consecutive IBD patients. Three successive IUS examinations were performed on each patient by the 3 operators. Inter-rater agreement on IUS disease activity was calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient.
Results:
The experienced gastroenterologist demonstrated consistently good agreement with the radiologist throughout the study, while the novice failed to go beyond poor agreement after 50 examinations, although a faster learning curve was observed in patients without history of IBD surgery.
Conclusion:
These findings highlight the difficulty of the technical performance of IUS rather than its interpretation. Comprehensive ultrasound training beforehand and between 50 and 200 examinations of experience are necessary before embarking on IUS.
More Related Videos
09:42Murine Endoscopy for In Vivo Multimodal Imaging of Carcinogenesis and Assessment of Intestinal Wound Healing and Inflammation
Published on: August 26, 2014
07:05Fluorescence-mediated Tomography for the Detection and Quantification of Macrophage-related Murine Intestinal Inflammation
Published on: December 15, 2017
Related Concept Videos
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the...
01:27Inflammatory Bowel Disease I: Ulcerative Colitis
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, encompasses a group of disorders characterized by chronic inflammation or ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract.
Risk Factors
The exact cause of IBD remains unclear, although it is believed to be due to a mix of genetic, environmental, microbial, and immune factors. Genetic factors are significant in determining susceptibility to IBD, with family history being a critical risk factor. Individuals with a first-degree relative who has IBD are at...
01:25Ultrasound II: Endoscopic Ultrasound and FibroScan
Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS):
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease II: Crohn's Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease, commonly known as IBD, refers to a collection of disorders that lead to persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The two types of IBD are ulcerative colitis, which impacts the colon, and Crohn's disease, which can involve any part of the gastrointestinal segment.
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a chronic, systemic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that predominantly affects the gastrointestinal tract. It is marked by...
01:26Imaging Studies III: Gastrointestinal Motility Studies and Virtual Colonoscopy
Radionuclide Testing
Radionuclide testing is a sophisticated medical technique for assessing gastrointestinal motility. It focuses on gastric emptying and colonic transit time. Radioactive markers track the movement of food through the digestive system, providing insights into gastrointestinal disorders.
In gastric emptying studies, a meal's liquid and...
01:20Ultrasound I: Abdominal Ultrasonography
Abdominal ultrasonography, commonly known as abdominal ultrasound, is a vital, non-invasive medical imaging technique widely used in healthcare.
Procedure:
This diagnostic tool allows the clinician to visually inspect internal structures within the abdomen, including vital organs such as the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidneys, and spleen.
The abdominal ultrasound process begins with applying a special gel to the patient's skin over the abdomen. This gel enhances the...