Point of Care Abdominal Ultrasound

Semin Ultrasound CT MR. 2024 Feb;45(1):11-21. doi: 10.1053/j.sult.2023.12.003. Epub 2023 Dec 4.

Abstract

Abdominal pain is a common emergency department complaint, and point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) of the abdomen is increasingly being utilized to evaluate clinical manifestations. It aids in accurate diagnoses and assists in procedures, particularly in emergency and critical care settings. Imaging is often required to confirm the etiology of abdominal pain. POCUS provides the benefit of avoiding radiation exposure and enables quicker diagnosis compared to computed tomography scans. There is growing evidence of the diagnostic accuracy for numerous abdominal POCUS applications, including appendicitis, intussusception, diverticulitis, gastric ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Abdomen / diagnostic imaging
  • Abdominal Pain*
  • Emergency Service, Hospital
  • Humans
  • Point-of-Care Systems*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Ultrasonography / methods