The Lateral Approach Water Bath: A Novel Method of Ultrasound Imaging of the Hand
Authors: Jennifer Cotton, David Bahner, Michael Prats
Published in: American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2023 November 16
Conclusions:
- The lateral approach water bath for hand ultrasound imaging produces higher quality, more consistent, and more clinically useful images than the traditional water bath method.
Background:
- Traditional water baths for ultrasound exams of the hand involve submerging both the hand and the ultrasound probe in water. This technique can be limited by patient discomfort and movement restrictions, and maintaining probe stability can be challenging.
- The lateral approach water bath is a new technique that involves imaging through the side of a thin-walled plastic container without submerging the probe, offering potentially improved image quality and easier execution.
Methods:
- Comparison of image quality and clinical utility between traditional water baths and the lateral approach water bath.
- Twenty images from each method were obtained using the same ultrasound model and operator.
- Images were evaluated by two ultrasound fellowship-trained reviewers who were blinded to the method used. They rated the images based on quality and adequacy for clinical decision-making on a scale from 1 to 5.
Results:
- The lateral water bath method resulted in better image quality (average rating of 4.2) compared to the traditional bath (average rating of 2.6).
- It also provided better support for clinical decision-making (average rating of 4.0) compared to the traditional method (average rating of 2.6).
- The lateral approach demonstrated greater consistency in image quality.