Efficacy of Ultrasound as a Diagnostic Tool in Acute Abdominal Conditions: A Descriptive Study

• Main Authors: Puneet Agrawal, Abhishek Yadav
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: JCDR Research and Publications Pvt. Ltd. 2021-04-01
• Series: International Journal of Anatomy Radiology and Surgery
• Subjects: abdominal pain; emergency department; urgent diagnosis
• Online Access: http://www.ijars.net/articles/PDF/2643/46364_F(SHU)_PF1(Ash_SHU)_PFA(SHU)_PB(ASh_OM)_PN(KM).pdf

Introduction: Acute abdomen is a very common complaint for which a patient presents to the emergency department. It often requires immediate diagnosis and urgent surgical intervention. Since, many serious and benign intra-abdominal conditions share common symptoms, it is often difficult to identify life threatening conditions early in its course. Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of ultrasound abdomen in common conditions presenting as acute abdomen. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive study, which included the patients presented with acute abdomen to the Emergency Department of FH Medical College and Hospital from March 2017 to March 2020. Clinical diagnosis was made and ultrasound abdomen was done. Ultrasound diagnosis was compared with peroperative findings and histopathology or by CT scan, if patient was not operated. Diagnostic performance markers such as sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), Negative Predictive Value (NPV) and accuracy were used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 726 patients were studied which included clinically diagnosed cases of acute appendicitis (189), gastrointestinal perforation (87), acute intestinal obstruction (65), acute cholecystitis (202) and acute pancreatitis (183). In cases of acute appendicitis, ultrasound made correct diagnosis in 148 patients, with sensitivity of 97.36%, specificity of 40.54%, PPV of 87.05%, NPV of 78.94%. For enteric perforation, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV was 89.04%, 35.71%, 87.83%, and 38.46% respectively. Conclusion: This study reflects that ultrasound scan has a high sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy for common acute abdominal conditions when executed by skilled hands.