Traditional Peripheral Arterial Doppler Waveform Descriptors: Are They Still Worth Teaching?

Traditional peripheral arterial waveforms have been inconsistently defined and classified. This investigation compares waveform categorization scores from two comparable groups of sonography participants. Group 1 interpreted continuous-wave (CW) and pulsed-wave (PW) Doppler waveforms based on standard text definitions. Group 2 performed the same task following 10 minutes of detailed waveform characterization instructions with accompanying illustrations. Each group comprised 157 participants with an equal number of students, registered sonographers, and physicians. Significant differences were noted between groups 1 and 2 for 60% of CW waveforms and 33% of PW waveforms (P < .05). In group 2, American Registry for Diagnostic Sonography (ARDMS)–registered sonographers had significantly higher CW scores than students and physicians (P < .0001); registered vascular technologists and multispecialty ARDMS-certified sonographers had significantly higher PW scores than students, Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonog...