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Bedside ultrasound is a practical and reliable measurement tool for assessing quadriceps muscle layer thickness.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Tillquist, M; Kutsogiannis, DJ; Wischmeyer, PE; Kummerlen, C; Leung, R; Stollery, D; Karvellas, CJ; Preiser, J-C; Bird, N; Kozar, R; Heyland, DK
Published in: JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr
September 2014

BACKGROUND: Critically ill patients commonly experience skeletal muscle wasting that may predict clinical outcome. Ultrasound is a noninvasive method that can measure muscle quadriceps muscle layer thickness (QMLT) and subsequently lean body mass (LBM) at the bedside. However, currently the reliability of these measurements are unknown. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the intra- and interreliability of measuring QMLT using bedside ultrasound. METHODS: Ultrasound measurements of QMLT were conducted at 7 centers on healthy volunteers. Trainers were instructed to perform measurements twice on each patient, and then a second trainee repeated the measurement. Intrarater reliability measured how consistently the same person measured the subject according to intraclass correlation (ICC). Interrater reliability measured how consistently trainer and trainee agreed when measuring the same subject according to the ICC. RESULTS: We collected 42 pairs of within operator measurements with an ICC of .98 and 78 pairs of trainer-to-trainee measurements with an ICC of .95. There were no statistically significant differences between the trainer and trainee results (trainer and trainee mean = -0.028 cm, 95% CI = -0.067 to -0.011, P = .1607). CONCLUSIONS: Excellent intra- and interrater reliability for ultrasound measurements of QMLT in healthy volunteers was observed when performed by a range of providers with no prior ultrasound experience, including dietitians, nurses, physicians, and research assistants. This technique shows promise as a method to evaluate LBM status in ICU or hospital settings and as a method to assess the effects of nutrition and exercise-based interventions on muscle wasting.

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Published In

JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr

DOI

EISSN

1941-2444

Publication Date

September 2014

Volume

38

Issue

7

Start / End Page

886 / 890

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Ultrasonography
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Quadriceps Muscle
  • Nutrition & Dietetics
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Healthy Volunteers
  • Female
  • Body Fluid Compartments
 

Citation

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Tillquist, M., Kutsogiannis, D. J., Wischmeyer, P. E., Kummerlen, C., Leung, R., Stollery, D., … Heyland, D. K. (2014). Bedside ultrasound is a practical and reliable measurement tool for assessing quadriceps muscle layer thickness. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr, 38(7), 886–890. https://doi.org/10.1177/0148607113501327
Tillquist, Maggie, Demetrios J. Kutsogiannis, Paul E. Wischmeyer, Christine Kummerlen, Roger Leung, Daniel Stollery, Constantine J. Karvellas, et al. “Bedside ultrasound is a practical and reliable measurement tool for assessing quadriceps muscle layer thickness.JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 38, no. 7 (September 2014): 886–90. https://doi.org/10.1177/0148607113501327.
Tillquist M, Kutsogiannis DJ, Wischmeyer PE, Kummerlen C, Leung R, Stollery D, et al. Bedside ultrasound is a practical and reliable measurement tool for assessing quadriceps muscle layer thickness. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2014 Sep;38(7):886–90.
Tillquist, Maggie, et al. “Bedside ultrasound is a practical and reliable measurement tool for assessing quadriceps muscle layer thickness.JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr, vol. 38, no. 7, Sept. 2014, pp. 886–90. Pubmed, doi:10.1177/0148607113501327.
Tillquist M, Kutsogiannis DJ, Wischmeyer PE, Kummerlen C, Leung R, Stollery D, Karvellas CJ, Preiser J-C, Bird N, Kozar R, Heyland DK. Bedside ultrasound is a practical and reliable measurement tool for assessing quadriceps muscle layer thickness. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2014 Sep;38(7):886–890.
Journal cover image

Published In

JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr

DOI

EISSN

1941-2444

Publication Date

September 2014

Volume

38

Issue

7

Start / End Page

886 / 890

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Ultrasonography
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Quadriceps Muscle
  • Nutrition & Dietetics
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Healthy Volunteers
  • Female
  • Body Fluid Compartments