The basic requirements and recommendations for transthoracic echocardiography in adults were developed regarding to the current guidelines by experts from the Russian Association of Specialists in Ultrasound Diagnostics in Medicine (RASUDM) and the Russian Association of Specialists in Functional Diagnostics (RASFD). The aspects of the safety and conditions for performing of transthoracic echocardiography were discussed. Basic requirements to ultrasound equipment were formulated. Recommendations on the procedure for performing transthoracic echocardiography and report were given. A minimal data set for registration and storage regarding to the current requirements was presented. Adherence to the standard allows to improve the effectiveness of transthoracic echocardiography in adults.

The aim of the study – to evaluate the parameters of left atrial myocardial strain in patients with atrial fibrillation who underwent electrical and drug cardioversion.

Materials and methods. The study included 118 patients of the University Clinical Hospital No 1 of the First Sechenov Moscow State Medical University. The analysis was carried out in three groups of patients: group 1 (n=54) – patients with atrial fibrillation who underwent electrical cardioversion; group 2 (n=31) – patients with atrial fibrillation who underwent drug cardioversion; group 3 (n=43) – patients without a history of atrial fibrillation. The clinical and anamnestic data of the medical history of each patient, as well as ultrasound indicators were evaluated: global strain of the left atrial, the values of negative peaks as a reflection of the left atrial systole and the values of positive peaks as a reflection of the filling of the left atrium, LASI – the left atrial stiffness index.

Results. The analysis showed that left atrial strain in patients with atrial fibrillation were reduced in all analyzed parameters: negative strain peaks (-9.00 vs. -12.6 in the control group, p<0.001), positive strain peaks (12.6 vs. 14.6 in the control group, p<0.001), global left atrial strain (21.5 in the atrial fibrillation group vs. 27.3 in the control group, p<0.001). Left Atrial Stiffness Index (LASI) was significantly higher in patients with a stopped episode of atrial fibrillation (0.50 vs. 0.40, p=0.006).

Conclusions. The indicators of left atrial strain were significantly reduced, and the left atrial stiffness index was significantly increased both in the group with electrical cardioversion and in the group with drug-induced cardioversion, compared with patients with similar cardiovascular pathologies, but without a history of atrial fibrillation episodes.

The aim of the work was to assess how accurately specialists, performing EEG, apply the recommendations in their daily practice.

Materials and Methods. An anonymous survey was conducted of 210 specialists in functional diagnostics and neurologists performing routine electroencephalography. The survey consisted of nine mandatory single-choice questions.

Results. Only 9 respondents out of 210 (4.3%) perform routine EEG completely in accordance with the Recommendations of the Expert Council of Neurophysiology of the Russian Anti-Epileptic League on performing the routine EEG.' Of these, only three specialists (1.4% of the total number of respondents) answered that a functional diagnostics doctor is present throughout the entire examination.

Conclusion: Despite the wide distribution and extensive experience in the use of EEG, there is no uniform practice of its implementation by doctors in the Russian Federation. Standardization of the methodology of its performance will increase confidence in EEG results among doctors of clinical specialties, increase the degree of inter-expert agreement among functional diagnostics physicians, and improve the quality of diagnosis of central nervous system diseases. To do this, it is necessary to develop webinar and educational programs on the methodology of EEG under the auspices of professional associations of doctors of functional diagnostics, neurophysiologists, neurologists.

The purpose of the study was to find out if infrared thermography of the thorax is the method to select the patients with lung inflammation

Material, methods: Thermograms were accumulated and processed in the «TVision» cloud storage («Dignosis», Russia). Special regions of interest (ROI) were automatically created: 1. on the front and back of the thorax roughly in the projection of the upper lobe (ULP) and the lower lobe (LLP) of the lung; 2.e lines on the front surface of the thorax. Two types of temperature gradients were calculated: between ULP and LLP (by subtraction mean temperature in LLP from mean temperature in ULP) (ΔT1); between both ULP and both LLP on the back of the thorax (ΔT2). Approximation confidence value for the polynomial trend line (R²) along the marked lines on the front surface of the thorax also calculated. Totally 489 thermograms, were analyzed, included 337 from healthy patients (group 1) and 152 from patients with confirmed diagnosis of lung inflammation (group 2)

Results: R² value was higher in the group 1 compare to group 2 (0.58 ± 0.16 vs 0.3 ± 0.2, p < 0.05). ΔT1 value was negative only in patients from group 2, as well as ΔT1 value greater than 0.4 °C.

Conclusion: three independent thermographic criteria suitable for detecting lung inflammation were found, so infrared thermography is the valuable method for screening this pathology.

In this lecture, the state of the practical use of spectral analysis of EEG is analyzed in detail. The author focuses on the reasons for the slow introduction of spectral analysis into everyday practice and identifies ways to overcome this deficiency. The reason for the need to master this useful analysis technique has been substantiated. The algorithm for performing spectral analysis of EEG in practice, both at the stage of processing and at the stage of data interpretation, is presented in detail. In the lecture, the author outlined the features of the options for the spatial organization of the alpha rhythm and their relationship with the characteristics of the human psyche. One of the reasons that hinders the use of EEG spectral analysis in practice is the lag of the software of electroencephalographic computer systems of leading manufacturers from modern requirements of the time.

As an example standard operating procedures performed by nurses in functional diagnostics departments are given. Methods of registration of electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, spirogram, setting of recorders for Holter monitoring and blood pressure monitoring are considered.

Electroencephalography (EEG) is the primary method for functional assessment of the brain bioelectrical activity. It is the most effective for epilepsy diagnosing, and also used for localization of the epileptogenic zone in presurgical evaluation for pharmaco-resistant epilepsy and in critical care medicine. In practice, the most common type is a 'routine' EEG, the informative value of which depends largely on the accuracy of its performance. The paper briefly outlines the rules for performing a routine EEG and lists the most common mistakes that can affect its interpretation.