Ultrasound Scanning Competencies in Midwifery Education in Zambia: Findings from a Desk Review and Needs Assessment

Introduction: Ultrasound is an essential component of antenatal care. Midwives provide most of the antenatal care but they do not perform ultrasound as it has been beyond their scope of practice. This leaves many women in Low and Middle-Income Countries without access to ultrasound scanning. The aim of this study was to identify competencies in ultrasound scanning in midwifery education. Methods: A desk review and needs assessment were conducted between July and October 2023. Articles and curricula on the internet, Google scholar and PubMed were searched for content on ultrasound scanning competencies. A Google form consisting of 20 questions was administered via email and WhatsApp to 135 participants. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data. Results: The desk review showed that it is feasible to train midwives in ultrasound scanning. The training programs for midwives in obstetric ultrasound were conducted for 1 week to 3 months with most of them running for 4 weeks. Content included introduction to general principles of ultrasound, physics, basic knowledge in embryology, obstetrics, anatomy, measuring foetal biometry, estimating amniotic fluid and gestational age. Experts like sonographers trained midwives. Theory and hands on were the teaching methods used. Written and practical assessments were conducted. Needs assessment revealed that majority of participants 71 (53%) knew about basic ultrasound training for midwives. All participants (100%) said it is necessary to train midwives in basic ultrasound scan in Zambia. Some content should include, anatomy, measuring foetal biometry, assessing amniotic fluid level, and gestational age determination. Most participants 91 (67%) suggested that the appropriate duration of training is 4 - 6 weeks. Conclusion: Empowering every midwife with ultrasound scanning skills will enable early detection of any abnormality among pregnant women and prompt intervention to save lives.

Progress of research in the application of ultrasound technology for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder defined by decreased reasoning abilities,memory loss,and cognitive deterioration.The presence of the blood-brain barrier presents a major obstacle to the development of effective drug therapies for Alzheimer’s disease.The use of ultrasound as a novel physical modulation approach has garnered widespread attention in recent years.As a safe and feasible therapeutic and drug-delivery method,ultrasound has shown promise in improving cognitive deficits.This article provides a summary of the application of ultrasound technology for treating Alzheimer’s disease over the past 5 years,including standalone ultrasound treatment,ultrasound combined with microbubbles or drug therapy,and magnetic resonance imaging-guided focused ultrasound therapy.Emphasis is placed on the benefits of introducing these treatment methods and their potential mechanisms.We found that several ultrasound methods can open the blood-brain barrier and effectively alleviate amyloid-βplaque deposition.We believe that ultrasound is an effective therapy for Alzheimer’s disease,and this review provides a theoretical basis for future ultrasound treatment methods.

The ultrasound diagnosis of fetal gastric teratoma

Objective: The aim of the study was to discuss the value of ultrasound examination in the diagnosis of fetal gastric teratoma. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 2 cases with fetal gastric teratoma in our hospital (Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China). It involved clinical, ultrasonic, X-ray, CT and MRI, biochemical, pathological, karyotype and immunohistochemical data. Results: There both were hybrid echo masses in the abdominal of the fetus with the sonography and the ultrasound features which mostly like the teratomas. Two cases were dead after induced abortion. The pathological results of the mass were gastric immature teratoma in one, and stomach mature teratoma in another. Conclusion: Fetal gastric teratoma is rarely seen and easily be misdiagnosed in clinic. The diagnosis depends finally on pathological examination. Ultrasound scan as the easy and direct method is helpful to clew the diagnosis of fetal gastric teratoma.

Ultrasound Diagnosis of Primary Epiploic Appendagitis: A Case Report

A rare differential diagnosis for severe abdominal pain is acute epiploic appendagitis. Its symptoms resemble those of acute diverticulitis, acute appendicitis, or omental infarction quite a bit. The primary imaging method used for diagnosis is computed tomography (CT). We are describing the case of a 27-year-old guy who underwent an abdominal ultrasonography after complaining of severe left lower quadrant abdominal pain. It identified an oval and non-compressible hyperechoic mass in the left iliac fossa. The mass was surrounded by a hypoechoic rim and there was no color Doppler signal. In the absence of CT, radiologists must be able to diagnose acute epiploic appendagitis on ultrasound in order to avoid unnecessary hospital admission, pricey laboratory tests, antibiotic treatment, and unnecessary surgery. In this instance, the patient was spared from ionization exposure from a potential CT scan and other invasive treatments including surgery with associated costs because of the reliable ultrasound diagnosis of epiploic appendagitis. After receiving conservative medical treatment, the patient was placed under surveillance and then discharged.

Ankle-brachial index and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity are risk factors for ischemic stroke in patients with type 2 diabetes

The incidence of ischemic stroke in patients with diabetes is increasing. While brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity （BaPWV） and ankle-bra- chial index （ABI） are known to be associated with ischemic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, whether these measures predict the risk of ischemic cerebrovascular disease in diabetic patients remains unclear. 117 patients with type 2 diabetes were enrolled in this study. According to the results of head magnetic resonance imaging, the patients were divided into a diabetes-only group （n = 55） and a diabetes and ischemic stroke group （n = 62）. We then performed ABI and BaPWV examinations for all patients. Compared with the diabe- tes-only group, we found decreased ABI and increased BaPWV in the diabetes and ischemic stroke group. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that BaPWV and ABI were risk factors for ischemic stroke in patients with type 2 diabetes. Our findings indicate that decreased ABI and increased BaPWV are objective indicators of increased risk of ischemic stroke in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Ultrasonographic assessment of paediatric ocular emergencies： A tertiary eye hospital based observation

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to assess the utility of ocular ultrasound B scan in the emergency at the fi rst point of care for detecting posterior segment and orbital pathologies in cases of paediatric ocular emergencies.METHODS: A prospective observational study involving 122 paediatric patients presenting to eye emergency over a period of ninety days were assessed with ultrasonography for the posterior segment as well as orbital pathology whenever indicated. The ocular ultrasound was performed gently over closed eyelids.RESULTS: Posttraumatic globe injuries were the most common indication for posterior segment evaluation, which constituted 80(65.57%) eyes. Among these 52 patients had an anechoic posterior segment and 28 patients had variable findings such as vitreous haemorrhage(8.19%), retinal detachment(6.55%), choroidal detachment(4.91%), posteriorly dislocated clear lens(0.81%) and retained intraocular foreign body(5.73%). Non-traumatic cases constituted around 42(34.42%) eyes, which included corneal ulcer(7.37%), retinoblastoma(6.55%), endophthalmitis(4.91%), extraocular muscle cysticercosis(4.91%), orbital cellulitis(4.09%), periocular haemorrhage(2.45%), proptosis(1.63%), paediatric cataract(1.63%) and cryptophthalmos(0.81%). No adverse events of performing the ultrasound was noted.CONCLUSION: First point ultrasonography in paediatric ocular emergencies is a cheap, portable and an effective tool in the assertion of signifi cant posterior segment and orbital diseases.

New Sri Lankan Crown Rump Length Chart

Introduction Accurate pregnancy dating is important for many aspects of obstetric care at individual level as well as population level. Traditionally, pregnancy dating has done by adding 9 months and 7 days to the last menstrual period (LMP) using Naegele’s formula. Determination of gestational age by ultrasound is more precise. Most commonly used parameters are mean sac diameter, gestation sac volume, crown-rump length (CRL), biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC) and femur length (FL). After 24 weeks, gestational age cannot be accurately determined by ultrasound scans. The biological variability of CRL is small and growth is very rapid. There are many factors that can affect CRL such as measurement errors, differences in growth rates between individuals, fetal sex and maternal conditions such as diabetes mellitus. A correctly performed measurement of CRL is the most accurate way of estimating the gestational age in early pregnancy from 8 weeks to 13 weeks + 6 days. Objectives Our study aims were to prepare a new Crown Rump Length chart with Sri Lankan population data and to compare new CRL chart with existing intergrowth CRL chart. Method Prospective observational study with recruitment of subjects by Quota sampling technique was carried out from April 2015 to March 2016. Spontaneously conceived uncomplicated singleton pregnancies with normal Body Mass Index (BMI) 18.5 - 23 kg/m2 were recruited at the time of registration to antenatal care. Consenting woman with known LMP with regular cycles in preceding 3 months were undergone ultrasound examination only once at gestational age (GA) ranging from 8 weeks to 13 weeks + 6 days. If ultrasound dating was different from LMP dating by more than 5 days in pregnancies with POA less than 9 weeks and dating differences more than 7 days in pregnancies between 9 weeks and 14 weeks were excluded. Pregnancies complicated with uncertain viability, congenital anomalies and spontaneous miscarriage were excluded from statistical analysis. Data collection done with pre-tested interviewer administered form and analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Results A total of 653 subjects were recruited for the study and 557 turned up for ultrasound dating assessment. Dating discrepancy and multiple pregnancies excluded 31 subjects, uncertain viability and spontaneous miscarriage excluded 15 subjects resulting 511 subjects for final statistical analysis. The mean CRL increased with GA almost linearly from day 56 to 97. Conclusions We have produced new CRL chart based on Sri Lankan data and it can be used for clinical practice in Sri Lanka. There is no statistically significant difference between our CRL chart and intergrowth CRL chart.

Design and simulation of a 2-D array flexible ultrasound transducer system for tissue characterization-A pilot study

Noninvasive diagnosis of bone density and mechanical properties using non-radiation imaging modality is an emerging area with promising in early prediction of osteopenia and treatment effectiveness in the clinic and functional disuse,i.e.,long-term bedrest and space mission.Advances in quantitative ultrasound have shown advantages in measuring both bone density and mechanical strength,non-radiation,imaging capability,and easy to use.The challenge that remained is the poor penetration of ultrasound signals passing through trabecular and cortical bones and acoustic energy scattering.A new scanning confocal ultrasound technology is developed in this lab to detect the alteration of bone to provide diagnostic results in bone density and structure properties.A software-controlled flexible ultrasound system with 2-D dual array transducer is developed and proposed for the purpose of noninvasive bone density diagnosis and assessment of bone loss.Transmitting(Tx)transducer elements are divided into sub-blocks to excite the ultrasound signals in sequence to decrease the system complexity while maintaining beam pattern properties by the signal processing procedure at receiving(Rx)side.Apodization is also applied to reduce acoustic side lobes and to make the resolution in the ultrasound field of view(FOV)more uniform.This study may provide basic understanding of modulated confocal ultrasound beam forming for tissue characterization,such as trabecular bone structual and strength properties.