239780 Zargis Cardioscan™ Aided Screening of Heart Murmurs: A Correlation Validation Study with Echocardiography in Rural India

Monday, October 31, 2011

Pradeep Aggarwal, MBBS, MD , Department of Community Medicine, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun, India
Deepak Gupta, MD , Anesthesiology, Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI
BACKGROUND: Zargis Cardioscan™ is an innovative technology that has recently been launched with the aim to assist the primary care physicians in the auscultation of the heart sounds by 3M™ Littmann® Model 3200 stethoscope. AIMS: (a) To compare the auscultatory interpetations per Zargis Cardioscan™ software with the echocardiography in Indian population based sample; and (b) to identify the avenue for community level application of Zargis Cardioscan™ for screening of heart murmurs in rural areas of India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is being done at post-graduate medical institute affliated hospital setting in rural India. The Zargis Cardioscan™ is being used to auscultate and analyze the heart sounds by the 3M™ Littmann® Model 3200 stethoscope by the community care physician. Subsequently, the analysis done by the Zargis Cardioscan™ software is being compared with echocardiography assessment performed by the cardiologist. The presence/absence of heart murmurs by auscultation at four sites and presence/absence of the valvular lesions of the heart by echocardiography is being compared as the primary outcome. RESULTS: Initial analysis of 5 patients out of planned total 100 patients shows that presence of heart murmur by Cardioscan™ software is affirmed by echocardiographic severe obstruction/backflow valvular lesion; however, the absence of heart murmur may overlook the echocardiographic mild obstruction/backflow valvular lesion. The more appropriate correlation results will evolve when the study is completed in next six months, i.e. possibly by August 2011. CONCLUSION: Zargis Cardioscan™ may provide an opportunity for the community health workers to screen heart sounds for murmurs in rural India that is known to have high prevalence of rheumatic heart disease.

Learning Areas:
Provision of health care to the public
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
1. Compare the auscultatory interpetations per Zargis Cardioscan™ software with the echocardiography in Indian population based sample. 2. Identify the avenue for community level application of Zargis Cardioscan™ for screening of heart murmurs in rural areas of India.

Keywords: Developing Countries, Community-Oriented Primary Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Besides loaning my personally owned Stethoscope with the Zargis Cardioscan software for this ongoing research study in the department of community medicine at Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences where Dr Pradeep Aggarwal works in the capacity of Assistant Professor, I have played role in guiding the project to shape since its inception and I am well aware of the whole project/presentation and its progress. Dr Pradeep Aggarwal (my brother-in-law) was supposed to present this abstract; however, he is not able to come from India to present this accepted poster; hence I (who is presently working in USA) will be presenting his study on his behalf.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Surveillance Screenings Associated with Health Information Technology
See more of: Health Informatics Information Technology