Education in obstetrical ultrasound - An important factor for increasing the prenatal detection of congenital heart disease

Abstract

Objective. To evaluate the effects of postgraduate education in obstetrical ultrasound on the prenatal detection rate of congenital heart disease. Setting. Tertiary care center. Population. Experienced and less experienced midwives performing ultrasound scans. Methods. Number of fetuses and live-born children with severe congenital heart malformations were extracted from patient records. The detection rates of experienced and less experienced midwives were compared following a postgraduate training program in obstetrical ultrasound. Main outcome measures. The prenatal detection rate of complex congenital heart malformations. Results. The prenatal detection rate for the entire unit increased significantly during the study period (32 vs. 69%, p < 0.05). Following education, we observed a significant increase in detection rates (21 vs. 67%, p < 0.01) among experienced midwives. In the group of less experienced midwives, we found a positive effect of training with considerably higher detection rates compared with results achieved by their more experienced colleagues before the program (40 vs. 21%). Conclusion There is a clear improvement in the prenatal detection rates of complex heart malformations following a postgraduate education in obstetrical ultrasound. Similar training should be offered to both midwives and doctors performing routine scans to increase the standards of antenatal screening for congenital heart disease. © 2013 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.