Definitions for a common standard for 2D speckle tracking echocardiography: consensus document of the EACVI/ASE/Industry Task Force to standardize deformation imaging.

Recognizing the critical need for standardization in strain imaging, in 2010, the European Association of Echocardiography (now the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, EACVI) and the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) invited technical representatives from all interested vendors to participate in a concerted effort to reduce intervendor variability of strain measurement. As an initial product of the work of the EACVI/ASE/Industry initiative to standardize deformation imaging, we prepared this technical document which is intended to provide definitions, names, abbreviations, formulas, and procedures for calculation of physical quantities derived from speckle tracking echocardiography and thus create a common standard.

Assessment of liver viscoelasticity by using shear waves induced by ultrasound radiation force.

Purpose: To investigate the value of viscosity measured with ultrasonographic (US) elastography in liver fibrosis staging and to determine whether the use of a viscoelastic model to estimate liver elasticity can improve its accuracy in fibrosis staging.

Materials And Methods: The study, which was performed from February 2010 to March 2011, was compliant with HIPAA and approved by the institutional review board. Written informed consent was obtained from each subject.

Is antibiotic prophylaxis necessary for midurethral sling procedures? A series of 174 cases without preoperative antibiotics.

Introduction And Hypothesis: Despite the lack of evidence, antibiotic prophylaxis has been recommended for midurethral sling procedures. The goal of this study was to evaluate the rate of infectious complications in women undergoing midurethral sling procedures without antibiotic prophylaxis.

Methods: We reviewed the baseline characteristics and postoperative infectious complications of 174 consecutive women who underwent midurethral sling procedures without prophylactic antibiotics from April 2005 to January 2010.

Double-blinded randomized trial of preoperative antibiotics in midurethral sling procedures and review of the literature.

Introduction And Hypothesis: The objective of this study was to determine if prophylactic antibiotic use before midurethral sling procedures reduces infectious complications.

Methods: In this double-blinded randomized trial, we compared infectious complications between women who received cefazolin and placebo before midurethral sling procedures.

Results: The study was halted due to low rate of infectious outcomes seen at the first scheduled interim analysis.