In this study the researchers looked at patients presenting to the emergency department with high suspicion for ACS and explored if Regional Wall Motion Abnormality (RWMA) evaluation by EPs was associated with occlusion myocardial ischemia (OMI).
FOCUS identified RWMA in 87% of patients with coronary angiography proven OMI. With a sensitivity of 94%, specificity 35%, and overall accuracy of 78%.
The authors concluded that using FOCUS can have good utility when a patient is high risk for OMI and has an equivocal ekg. However, if RWMA is not present, physicians should still continue with work up such as cardiac catheterization.
To evaluate RWMA it is easiest to:
Obtain a parasternal short axis at the level of the papillary muscles
Place your finger on the ultrasound machine in the middle of the LV and watch the walls contract towards your finger
The walls should contract equally towards your finger
