P32.14: Quality control of standardized 3D acquisition for the examination of the fetal head and abdomen

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to was to develop and evaluate the feasibility and reproducibility of criteria-based quality control for routine standardized 3d volume acquisition of fetal head and volume. 3D ultrasound was performed in a standardized manner (description) in 30 fetuses at 20–24 weeks at the time of routine mid-trimester scan. A standardized volume acquisition of the fetal head and abdomen were realized by two untrained operators. For the acquisition of fetal head volumes used, the starting plane was defined at the level of the biparital diameter. The scan angle was 50°. For the acquisition of fetal abdomen volumes, the starting plane used was slightly lower than the plane of the abdominal circumference measurement, at the level of the 2 pyelic cavities and the insertion of the umbilical cord. These were then analyzed by two expert reviewers, according to predefined criteria agreed upon on the basis of established standards. Each criteria was quoted 1 if present, yelding to a score of 5 and 7 for fetal head and abdomen volumes respectively. Inter reviewer variability in criteria assessment and mean score were evaluated. Among the 60 volumes, criteria based evaluation demonstrated good adjusted kappa values (> 0.8 in most cases), and high intra-class correlation coefficient. Among the study period, there was a clear trend in an increase of mean score for each operator (P < 0.05). Standardized 3D volumes quality control policy based on scoring is feasible and allows for good inter- and intra-reviewer reproducibility. Besides its potential for audit and quality control, this could also be useful during the training process.