Inter- and intra-observer variability in cervical measurement by ultrasound in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy: does it matter?

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2015

Authors

Franca, C (Author) Other; Carraca, T (Author) Other; Monteiro, SB (Author) Other; Rodrigues, T (Author) FMUP; Montenegro, N (Author) Other; Severo M (Author) FMUP; matias, a (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Journal of Perinatal Medicine

Vol. 43

Pages: 67-73

ISSN: 0300-5577

Publisher: Walter De Gruyter

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 4 Citations

Scopus - 5 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00A-4SX

DOI: 10.1515/jpm-2014-0123

Abstract (EN): Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the interand intra-observer variabilities in the cervical length (CL) measurement by transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. Materials and methods: A total of 55 singleton pregnant women were evaluated in the first or second ultrasound. Each patient was blindly evaluated by three of the four observers who performed three measurements each. Results: In the first and second trimesters, patients were evaluated at 12.3 weeks (mean) and 21.3 weeks (mean), respectively. The intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) between observers in the first and second trimesters were 0.76 and 0.72, respectively, and the ICCs within observers were 0.889 and 0.899, respectively. In both trimesters, the main source of variance was the patient and the second source of variance was the interaction, Patient x Observer (12.0% and 13.5%, respectively). The observer and measurement explained a small proportion of variance in both trimesters (1.4% and 0.4%, respectively in the 1st trimester, and 3.3% and 0%, respectively in the 2nd trimester). The residual variances were 10.6% and 11.2%, and the standard errors of measurement were 1.78 mm and 1.82 mm for the first and second trimesters, respectively. Conclusions: TVU is a reliable and reproducible method by which to predict preterm birth in both the first and second trimesters.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7