Elderly Woman with Abdominal Pain: Bedside Ultrasound Diagnosis of Diverticulitis
A 72-year-old otherwise healthy female presented to the emergency department with two weeks of worsening abdominal pain. She was afebrile with normal vital signs. Her physical examination was notable for moderate abdominal tenderness without rebound to the left and suprapubic regions of the abd...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
eScholarship Publishing, University of California
2015-10-01
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| Series: | Western Journal of Emergency Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://escholarship.org/uc/item/6v166647 |
| Summary: | A 72-year-old otherwise healthy female presented to
the emergency department with two weeks of worsening
abdominal pain. She was afebrile with normal vital signs. Her
physical examination was notable for moderate abdominal
tenderness without rebound to the left and suprapubic
regions of the abdomen. Laboratory studies were remarkable
for a white blood cell count of 13,000/mm3. A focused
bedside ultrasound over the patient’s region of maximal
discomfort revealed a thickened bowel wall and several
small contiguous hypoechoic projections surrounding a
hyperechoic center, suggestive of diverticulitis (Figure). She
was given metronidazole and ciprofloxacin and her diagnosis
of uncomplicated colonic diverticulitis was confirmed by
computed tomography (CT). |
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| ISSN: | 1936-900X 1936-9018 |