1. Ultrasound Scans Done by Surgeons for Patients with Acute Abdominal Pain: a Prospective Study
- Author
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Paolo Claudio Cassina, Markus A. Röthlin, Florin Allemann, and Felix Largiadèr
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Acute abdominal pain ,Sensitivity and Specificity ,Diagnosis, Differential ,Humans ,Medicine ,Prospective Studies ,Surgical emergency ,Prospective cohort study ,Aged ,Ultrasonography ,Abdomen, Acute ,Aged, 80 and over ,Patient Care Team ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Ultrasound ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Appendicitis ,Surgery ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Acute abdomen ,Abdominal ultrasonography ,Abdomen ,Female ,Radiology ,medicine.symptom ,business - Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the routine use of abdominal ultrasonography (US) in patients admitted to the surgical emergency unit with acute abdominal pain.Design: Prospective study with a three-step evaluation of patients over a 12-month period.Setting: University hospital, Switzerland.Subjects: 496 patients (male/female ≥ 234/262; mean age 45 years) who presented with acute abdominal pain.Interventions: Every patient underwent routine investigations and had an abdominal US by the attending surgeon.Main outcome measures: Clinical diagnosis, post-ultrasonography diagnosis and final diagnosis.Results: US improved the correct diagnostic rate from 348 (70%) to 414 (83%). The diagnostic accuracy for acute appendicitis and biliary tract disease improved after US from 455 (92%) to 488 (98%) and from 463 (93%) to 490 (99%), respectively; the corresponding sensitivities and specificities were 91% and 99% and 94% and 99%.Conclusions: Ultrasonography should be part of routine surgical investigation and should be mastere...
- Published
- 1999
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