PoCUS Diagnostic Accuracy for Fecal Impaction in the Emergency Department: A Prospective Study

Detailed Summary

Many medical and paramedical specialties regularly use point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) in clinical practice. The diagnosis of fecal impaction is quite common in the elderly living in nursing homes with a prevalence of 47.3%. Fecal impaction remains a major source of morbidity, while its etiology is often multifactorial and its diagnosis challenging. Current recommendations for the diagnosis of fecal impaction support the use of plain abdominal x-rays. PoCUS is a non-irradiating procedure and a clinical diagnostic tool that can be used in a variety of ways during abdominal examinations. Most scientific societies encourage the use of PoCUS to respond to a specific clinical question rather than to provide a diagnosis, which is usually confirmed by conventional ultrasound. However, the combination of physical examination and PoCUS may improve the diagnostic approach. This multicentric prospective study protocol aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of PoCUS in patients aged 75 years or older with suspected fecal impaction in the emergency department compared with plain abdominal x-ray (or abdominal CT scan if required as part of the emergency department investigations).

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