Decision making in patients with acute abdominal pain at a university and at a rural hospital: does the value of abdominal sonography differ?

2008

Impact of Sonography on Decision Making for Acute Abdominal Pain

Sample size: 161 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Exadaktylos Aristomenis K, Sadowski-Cron Charlotte, Mäder Paul, Weissmann Monika, Dinkel Hans Peter, Negri Marco, Zimmermann Heinz

Primary Institution: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Berne, Inselspital, Berne, Switzerland

Does the value of abdominal sonography differ between a university hospital and a rural hospital in managing acute abdominal pain?

Sonography provides important diagnostic information in only a minority of patients with acute abdominal pain.

Sonography had a sensitivity of 94%, specificity of 88%, and accuracy of 91%.
Management changed in 14% of cases at the university hospital and 27% at the rural hospital after sonography.
Additional tests were more frequently added at the university hospital but did not influence the decision-making process.

Doctors use a special ultrasound to help figure out what's wrong with patients who have belly pain, but it only helps some of the time.

161 patients were examined clinically, and sonography was performed to assess its impact on diagnosis and management.

Patient selection bias may have occurred as some patients were excluded based on the surgeon's decision.

The study population was limited, and there were differences in experience and diagnostic capabilities between the two hospitals.

At the UH, 72% were male with a median age of 35; at the RH, 40% were male with a median age of 40.

p > 0.05

p > 0.05

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