Scholars@Duke
Sarah Catherine Ellestad

Sarah Catherine Ellestad

Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine
sarah.ellestad@duke.edu
DUMC 3967, Durham, NC 27710
Pavilion East At Lakeview, 2608 Erwin Road, Suite 200, Durham, NC 27705

Selected Publications

In Vivo Demonstration of a Real-Time Temporal SNR Acoustic Output Adjustment Method.

Journal Article IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control · August 2024 This work proposes a novel method of temporal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)-guided adaptive acoustic output adjustment and demonstrates this approach during in vivo fetal imaging. Acoustic output adjustment is currently the responsibility of sonographers, bu ... Full text Link to item Cite

Human Observer Sensitivity to Temporal Noise During B-Mode Ultrasound Scanning: Characterization and Imaging Implications.

Journal Article Ultrason Imaging · May 2024 This work measures temporal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) thresholds that indicate when random noise during ultrasound scanning becomes imperceptible to expert human observers. Visible noise compromises image quality and can potentially lead to non-diagnosti ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Role of Perinatal Palliative Care in Fetal Neurology.

Journal Article Am J Perinatol · September 2023 OBJECTIVES: Many serious or life-threatening neurologic conditions are first diagnosed during the fetal period, often following a routine ultrasound or sonographic evaluation after an abnormal aneuploidy screen. Such conditions represent a worrisome or une ... Full text Link to item Cite

Validation of a sonographic checklist for the detection of histologic placenta accreta spectrum.

Journal Article Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM · August 2023 BACKGROUND: To standardize research terminology and to reduce unanticipated placenta accreta spectrum, the European Working Group for Abnormally Invasive Placenta developed a consensus checklist for reporting suspected placenta accreta spectrum observed du ... Full text Link to item Cite

An Automated Region-Selection Method for Adaptive ALARA Ultrasound Imaging.

Journal Article IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control · July 2022 The objective of this work was to develop an automated region of the interest selection method to use for adaptive imaging. The as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) principle is the recommended framework for setting the output level of diagnostic ultras ... Full text Link to item Cite

Management of Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes in the Late Preterm Period.

Journal Article Obstet Gynecol Surv · May 2022 IMPORTANCE: For patients who present with prelabor rupture of membrane (PROM) in the late preterm period (34 to 36 6/7 weeks), management remains unclear due to lack of consensus. However, recent guidelines have suggested that shared decision-making may be ... Full text Link to item Cite

A prospective blinded comparison of second trimester fetal measurements by expert and novice readers using low-cost novice-acquired 3D volumetric ultrasound.

Journal Article J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med · June 2021 RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound (US) is operator dependent, requiring operator skill and experience to selectively identify and record planes of interest for subsequent interpretation. This limits the utility of US in settings in ... Full text Link to item Cite

Mechanisms affecting ALARA MI selected in adaptive ultrasound imaging

Conference IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium, IUS · January 1, 2021 Adaptive acoustic output selection in ultrasound imaging promises to improve adherence to the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principle. Demonstrated imaging sequences have balanced image quality and safety considerations based on transducer channe ... Full text Cite

An Automated ALARA Method for Ultrasound: An Obstetric Ultrasound Feasibility Study.

Journal Article J Ultrasound Med · December 2, 2020 OBJECTIVES: Ultrasound users are advised to observe the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principle, but studies have shown that most do not monitor acoustic output metrics. We developed an adaptive ultrasound method that could suggest acoustic outpu ... Full text Link to item Cite

Physician Barriers and Facilitators for Screening for Congenital Heart Disease With Routine Obstetric Ultrasound: A National United States Survey.

Journal Article J Ultrasound Med · June 2020 OBJECTIVES: Prenatal detection of congenital heart disease with obstetric screening remains at less than 50% in most population studies, far from what is thought to be achievable. We sought to identify barriers/facilitators for screening from the perspecti ... Full text Link to item Cite

A Genocentric Approach to Discovery of Mendelian Disorders.

Journal Article Am J Hum Genet · November 7, 2019 The advent of inexpensive, clinical exome sequencing (ES) has led to the accumulation of genetic data from thousands of samples from individuals affected with a wide range of diseases, but for whom the underlying genetic and molecular etiology of their cli ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Implementation and Clinical Evaluation of a Fetal ALARA Ultrasound System

Conference IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium, IUS · December 17, 2018 The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides guidelines for acoustic output to ensure that ultrasound remains a safe imaging modality used widely in applications such as obstetrics. However, even within these limits, additional acoustic output that d ... Full text Cite

Clinical Utility of Fetal Short-Lag Spatial Coherence Imaging.

Journal Article Ultrasound Med Biol · April 2018 In this study, we evaluate the clinical utility of fetal short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC) imaging. Previous work has documented significant improvements in image quality with fetal SLSC imaging as quantified by measurements of contrast and contrast-to-no ... Full text Link to item Cite

Notice of Removal: Translation of fetal short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC) imaging into clinical practice: A pilot study

Conference IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium, IUS · October 31, 2017 Fetal short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC) imaging has demonstrated 64-85% increases in CNR and 17-29% increases in contrast relative to conventional B-mode imaging. However, despite its proven technical efficacy, the viability of fetal SLSC in the clinical ... Full text Cite

Multidisciplinary approach to manage antenatally suspected placenta percreta: updated algorithm and patient outcomes.

Journal Article Gynecol Oncol Res Pract · 2017 BACKGROUND: Due to the significant morbidity and mortality associated with placenta percreta, alternative management options are needed. Beginning in 2005, our institution implemented a multidisciplinary strategy to patients with suspected placenta percret ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

In vivo application of short-lag spatial coherence and harmonic spatial coherence imaging in fetal ultrasound.

Journal Article Ultrason Imaging · April 2015 Fetal scanning is one of the most common applications of ultrasound imaging and serves as a source of vital information about maternal and fetal health. Visualization of clinically relevant structures, however, can be severely compromised in difficult-to-i ... Full text Link to item Cite

Religiosity is an important part of coping with grief in pregnancy after a traumatic second trimester loss.

Journal Article J Relig Health · December 2011 Women (n = 15) who were pregnant after a traumatic late pregnancy loss (termination because of fetal death or serious anomalies) completed psychometric screening tests and scales, including the Perinatal Grief Scale (PGS), the Impact of Event Scale (IES), ... Full text Link to item Cite

Medical and surgical treatment of placenta percreta to optimize bladder preservation.

Journal Article Obstet Gynecol · August 2008 BACKGROUND: Placenta percreta is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Interventions are dictated by hemodynamic stability, desire to retain future fertility, and efforts to reduce surgical morbidity at time of delivery. CASES: Two cases of ... Full text Link to item Cite

Preterm premature rupture of membrane management--inpatient versus outpatient: a retrospective review.

Journal Article Am J Perinatol · January 2008 Featured Publication The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) managed as inpatients who would have been candidates for outpatient management by prior published criteria. A retrospective review of medi ... Full text Link to item Cite

Severe factor V deficiency presenting with intracranial haemorrhage during gestation.

Journal Article Haemophilia · July 2007 Featured Publication We present a case of intracranial haemorrhage detected by ultrasound at 36 weeks gestation in a foetus who was ultimately diagnosed with severe factor V deficiency. An abnormality of the foetal heart rate, auscultated at a routine antenatal visit, prompted ... Full text Link to item Cite

First trimester screening.

Journal Article Gynecol Obstet Invest · 2005 Featured Publication Screening for aneuploidy has traditionally been reserved for women of advanced maternal age. More recent advances in serum screening and ultrasound technology have allowed women of all ages to be offered screening in the second and even first trimester. Th ... Full text Link to item Cite

Prenatal diagnosis of a trauma-related fetal epidural hematoma.

Journal Article Obstet Gynecol · December 2004 Featured Publication BACKGROUND: Prenatal diagnosis of fetal intracranial hemorrhage has important etiologic, management, and prognostic implications. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been used to identify and evaluate this condition. We present the fi ... Full text Link to item Cite