Diagnostic Utility of a New Electronic Stethoscope

Electronic stethoscopes have multiple advertised benefits compared to a traditional stethoscope. This session will review the background of electronic stethoscopes in veterinary medicine and present the results of a recent prospective clinical study that evaluated the clinical utility of three generations of the relatively novel Eko stethoscope system (Eko, Berkeley, California, USA) in a large group of dogs with Stage A and B myxomatous mitral valve disease. The main objectives of this study were 1) to assess the accuracy of each of the three Eko stethoscopes in comparison to auscultation with a traditional stethoscope by a cardiologist, 2) assess the accuracy of clinical diagnosis (murmur yes/no, murmur grade, arrhythmia yes/no, clicks yes/no) based on listening to auscultation recordings made with each of the three Eko stethoscopes and 3) assess the agreement in clinical diagnosis (based on listening to the recordings) between observers with different levels of experience .The study also sought to assess the contribution of a variety of factors that could contribute to lack of agreement between listening observers (e.g. murmur intensity).
Note: This study is currently in preparation for submission for publication but the results have not been presented anywhere at this time. We are optimistic it will be well along the peer review process prior to the Forum in 2022.