Contribution of Point of Care Ultrasound by the Emergency Physician to Rule Out the Small Bowel Obstruction: a Diagnostic, Multicenter Study

What this Trial Is About

Small Bowel Obstruction (SBO) is a common emergency condition diagnosed mainly by abdominal CT scans, which help guide treatment including medical care or surgery. However, CT scans expose patients to radiation, increase costs, and extend emergency department stays. Researchers are evaluating the use of Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) combined with clinical judgment (Gestalt probability) to safely exclude SBO in patients with low or moderate risk, potentially reducing the need for CT scans. In this observational study, trained emergency physicians will perform POCUS on patients with suspected SBO who have low or moderate Gestalt clinical probability. The ultrasound will look for signs like dilated, fluid-filled intestinal loops in different abdominal zones. After POCUS, all patients will receive a CT scan to confirm SBO presence or absence, serving as the gold standard. The main goal is to assess how well POCUS can rule out SBO in this specific patient group. Participants will be followed for 28 days, with data collected on the accuracy of POCUS compared to CT, time from ultrasound to CT results, and any false positives or negatives. Physicians will also evaluate the ease and usefulness of POCUS. This study aims to show that POCUS can reduce unnecessary CT scans, lowering radiation exposure, costs, emergency department length of stay, and workload for radiologists.

Contribution of Point of Care Ultrasound by the Emergency Physician to Rule Out the Small Bowel Obstruction: a Diagnostic, Multicenter Study