Supplementary Material for: Is Bigger Really Better? Comparison of Ultraportable Handheld Ultrasound with Standard Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Evaluating Safe Site Identification and Image Quality prior to Pleurocentesis Newhouse S.M. Effing T.W. Dougherty B.D. D'Costa J.A. Rose A.R. 10.6084/m9.figshare.12024447.v1 https://karger.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Supplementary_Material_for_Is_Bigger_Really_Better_Comparison_of_Ultraportable_Handheld_Ultrasound_with_Standard_Point-of-Care_Ultrasound_for_Evaluating_Safe_Site_Identification_and_Image_Quality_prior_to_Pleurocentesis/12024447 <b><i>Background:</i></b> Pleural effusions remain a common medical problem which often requires diagnostic pleurocentesis to determine the underlying cause. Pleurocentesis is a frequently performed procedure worldwide with improved safety using ultrasound (US) technology. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> This prospective, single-center study evaluated the use of an ultraportable handheld (UPHH) US compared with standard point-of-care (SPOC) US in determining a safe site for pleurocentesis. In addition, US image quality and factors impacting on image quality were assessed using both UPHH and SPOC US. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Paired US assessments were performed by thoracic physicians using UPHH and SPOC US on patients with unilateral pleural effusions to determine a safe site for pleurocentesis (defined as >2 cm of pleural fluid, >2 cm from a solid organ/diaphragm, and <7 cm chest wall depth). Distance measurements for key structures and image quality scores (using a 5-point Likert rating scale) were obtained at the time of US assessment. Factors affecting image quality were analyzed using univariate analysis. <b><i>Results:</i></b> In 52 of the 54 included patients (96.3%), UPHH US was able to identify a safe site for pleurocentesis. Distance measurements between UPHH and SPOC US were not statistically different (all <0.5 cm with values of <i>p</i> > 0.05), but image quality was reduced in UPHH compared with SPOC US by 1 point on a 5-point Likert rating scale (<i>p</i> < 0.002). Increasing body mass index was associated with a reduction in image quality in both UPHH and SPOC US (all <i>p</i> < 0.01). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Although image quality was lower in UPHH than SPOC US, a safe site was found in 96.3% of patients, which suggests that UPHH US may be a useful tool for diagnostic pleuro­centesis when SPOC US is not available (http://www.anzctr.org.au/, Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, No. ACTRN12618001592235). 2020-03-24 15:05:51 Pleural effusion Pleurocentesis Diagnostic imaging Safety Ultrasonography