Point-of-Care Ultrasound to Diagnose Small Bowel Obstruction in the ED?

Emergency physician-performed ultrasound had modest sensitivity and specificity for small bowel obstruction and is probably not accurate enough to be a stand-alone test in most patients.

Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is typically diagnosed by computed tomography (CT) scan, which not only can make the diagnosis but also can determine the location of the transition point and identify the cause of the SBO. If point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is accurate, it may make the diagnosis faster without irradiation.

Researchers prospectively evaluated diagnostic test characteristics and time-saving potential of POCUS in a convenience sample of 125 emergency department patients (46% male; median age, 54 years) who were undergoing CT scan to evaluate for SBO. The eight participating emergency physician sonographers had undergone at least a 16-hour course and 2 weeks of ultrasound training and were blind to the patients' clinical data and …

Reviewing Author

Benton R. Hunter, MD

Disclosures

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Academic Emergency Medicine (Chair, Evidence Based Healthcare Interest Group)

Benton R. Hunter, MD

Disclosures

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Academic Emergency Medicine (Chair, Evidence Based Healthcare Interest Group)

Point-of-Care Ultrasound to Diagnose Small Bowel Obstruction in the ED?

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Reviewing Author