C20 - An International Survey of Preferences for Echocardiographic Assessment of Left Atrial Size in Cats

Abstract:
Background – Veterinary echocardiographers’ preferences for left atrial (LA) size assessment in cats have never been systematically investigated.

Hypothesis/Objective – Investigate echocardiographers’ preferences concerning LA size assessment in cats including positioning of the cat, acquisition views, indexing methods and timing; and whethergeographic/professional profiles could be associated with echocardiographers’ preferences for assessing LA size in cats.

Animals – None.

Methods – An online survey was distributed globally to veterinary echocardiographers.

Results – A total of 655 veterinary echocardiographers from 6 continents and 54 countries, working in specialty practice (56%) and in general practice (38%), completed the survey. Linear 2D-based methods were favored by most echocardiographers (n=612). Most commonly, echocardiographers combined linear 2D-based methods with subjective assessment (n=227), while 209 used linear 2D-based methods alone. Most echocardiographers (n=464) using linear 2D-based methods preferred the right parasternal short-axis view and to index the LA to the aorta. Less than 8% (n=43) used linear 2D obtained images from a right parasternal long-axis 4-chamber view without indexing the LA. Approximately one third (n=210/612, 34.3%) assessed LA size using linear 2D echocardiography shared the same preferences regarding cat position, acquisition view, indexing method and time-point identification for the measurement. The responses were comparably homogeneous across geographic location, level of training, years performing echocardiography, and type of practice.

Conclusion and clinical importance – Most veterinary echocardiographers assessed LA size in cats using linear 2D echocardiography from a right parasternal short axis view, indexing the LA to the aorta. The echocardiographers’ demographic and professional profiles had a minor influence on the responses.