OA259] Development of a quality assurance program for B-mode ultrasound equipment: One – year experience

Abstract

Purpose Though ultrasound imaging is a technique operating without the use of ionizing radiation, still quality control of the equipment is important. Performance evaluation can lead to identification of image quality degradation that, if not early detected, will probably result in misdiagnosis or missed-diagnosis and will eventually lead to wrong clinical decisions. The purpose of this study is the creation and implementation of a quality assurance (QA) program for B-mode ultrasound equipment in our hospital. Methods An extensive literature review was performed in order to identify QA guidelines for ultrasound equipment established by professional bodies and authorities such as the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), the British Medical Ultrasound Society (BMUS), the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB) and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM). QA protocols established in individual hospitals and clinics from United Kingdom, United States, Italy, Finland and Korea were also identified and included in our study. A QA program for B-mode ultrasound equipment in our hospital was created and implemented in a (1) Toshiba SSA660A system installed in 2013 and a (2) Siemens Acuson X700 installed in 2017. Results The QA protocol created consists of the following parts: mechanical inspection and electrical safety, image uniformity, penetration depth, vertical and horizontal distance accuracy, anechoic object imaging, axial and lateral resolution, dead zone, image contrast, monitor fidelity and processor quality indicator. The preliminary results from the implementation of this program and our one-year experience will be presented. Conclusions Quality assurance of ultrasound equipment is of great importance as it can prevent clinical errors in patient diagnosis. The QA procedures can detect malfunction of the equipment and image quality deterioration and assure diagnostic efficacy and patient safety. In our hospital a QA protocol was developed in order to ensure correct operation of ultrasound systems. Future steps include the development of a QA protocol for Doppler ultrasound systems and its further implementation.