Comparison between Handheld Echocardiography and Cardiac Magnetic Resonance for Stroke Volume and Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Quantification

Background: Reliable quantification of stroke volume (SV) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is essential for point-of-care assessment in hemodynamically compromised patients. Handheld echocardiography (HHE) equipment has entered the market a few years ago and is now available for clinical use. However, the performance of HHE for SV and LVEF quantification in comparison to cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging as golden standard is yet unknown. Methods: Twenty volunteers were scanned with HHE, standard echocardiography (SE), and CMR. LVEF and SV were measured with each modality, and their accuracy and precision were evaluated. Results: Bias and limits of agreement (LOA) between HHE and CMR were −0.21% (−2.89: 2.48) and 11.24% (−15.79: 15.59) for LVEF and 29.85 ml (22.13: 37.57) and 32.34 ml (−15.01: 44.86) for SV, respectively. Bias and LOA between SE and CMR were −0.60% (−3.74:2.55) and 13.16% (−18.85:18.26) for LVEF and 32.08 ml (24.61:39.54) and 31.34 ml (−11.29:43.37) for SV, respectively. Conclusion: HHE versus CMR showed comparable accuracy and precision compared to SE versus CMR.