DR. AMER JOHRI MD, MSc, FRCP(C) FASE
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE
DIVISION OF CARDIOLOGY
Kingston General Hospital
76 Stuart Street, FAPC-3
613-533-6000 ext. 75432
Fax 613-548-1387
RE: 2013 Funded Research Projects Offered by Faculty (Summer Studentships)
1. Description of your project:
Recent advances in technology have allowed the miniaturization of ultrasound systems to units
that can be carried on a belt clip and operated with one hand while delivering high quality images.
These hand-held units can be used to obtain diagnostic data pertaining to cardiac structure and
function. While the initial introduction of hand-held cardiac ultrasound units (HHCU) was met
with some resistance, these devices have advanced to the point where they are now appearing in
the hands of clinicians for routine bedside use. They have been shown to have similar efficacy to
formal echocardiography (FE) for certain conditions and have been studied when operated by
cardiologists and non-cardiologists alike in both the in-patient and out-patient setting. They have
been evaluated in critically ill patients, in-patient consultative rounds and in ambulatory patients,
but to the best of our knowledge, they have not been studied in acute, undifferentiated patients in
the emergency room (ER) setting.
The ER is the traditional setting where IM residents assess undifferentiated patients. These
patients often carry numerous co-morbid conditions, which can factor in and complicate the
differential diagnosis. Furthermore, the ER is often noisy, inadequately lit, and patients are often
too unwell to fully participate in a comprehensive physical examination at the time of initial
assessment. Similarly, the quality and diagnostic utility of certain ER investigations such as
radiography and electrocardiography are limited by some of these same factors. Recognizing
cardiac pathology early in the assessment process may positively impact patient management.
Therefore, HHCU may have a role as an extension of the physical examination when used by
trained internal medicine residents during ER consultations of undifferentiated patients referred
for cardiac assessment.
2. Whether the project is suitable for a first or second year medical student:
Is suitable for first and second year medical students.
3. Is independent funding available for the project: Independent funding is not available – would
need support under School of Medicine Projects Summer Research Studentships
4. Indicate name of the supervisor: Dr. Amer Johri
5. Indicate department: Department of Medicine – Division of Cardiology
6. Provide contact information for the student to contact individual directly:
CINQ Research Coordinator for Dr. Johri
Cinq.research@gmail.com Tel 613-533-6000 ext. 75432
Amer Johri
MD MSc FRCPC FASE
Division of Cardiology
Queen’s University, Kingston, ON