Diagnosing Appendicitis: Ultrasound First?

A diagnostic pathway using ultrasound as the primary study, followed by CT for patients with negative or inconclusive ultrasound findings, had high accuracy for diagnosing appendicitis.

Positive findings on an ultrasound are highly accurate for diagnosing acute appendicitis, and using ultrasound avoids the delays and ionizing radiation that are associated with computed tomography (CT) scanning. These authors prospectively evaluated a protocol that recommended ultrasound as the first diagnostic test in adult patients with clinically suspected acute appendicitis. According to the protocol, patients first underwent graded-compression ultrasound, performed by experienced radiologists; patients with positive findings were sent to the operating room, and those with inconclusive or negative findings underwent intravenous-contrast–enhanced multidetector CT. Patients with positive or inconclusive CT scans were sent to the operating…

Reviewing Author

Diane M. Birnbaumer, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardSecurisyn

Editorial boardsThe Merck Manuals (Home and Physician Editions)

Diane M. Birnbaumer, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardSecurisyn

Editorial boardsThe Merck Manuals (Home and Physician Editions)