Diagnostic Accuracy of Emergency Physician Performed Bedside Ultrasound in Suspected Acute Appendicitis

Diagnostic Accuracy and Clinic Utility of Bedside Ultrasonography Performed by Emergency Physicians in Suspected Acute Appendicitis

The aim of the study is to evaluate the diagnostic yield and accuracy of bedside emergency physician performed ultrasound in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

Emergency physician (EP) performed bedside ultrasound is cost effective, repeatable and especially useful in the diagnosis of life treating conditions such as aortic dissection, traumatic bleedings. While abdominal pain is a common complaint in the emergency department and accurate diagnosis of its etiology may affect the patient's outcome, the accuracy and the diagnostic yield of bedside EP performed ultrasound is not well established. The diagnosis of a patient presented to emergency department with right lower abdominal pain is generally problematic and physician has to exclude acute surgical reasons such as acute appendicitis.

In this study, patients who are suspicious to have acute appendicitis base on their clinical findings will be included. EP will record his diagnosis and then patient will undergo emergency physician performed ultrasound. After ultrasound EP will fill the study form according to US findings and record his diagnosis once again.

At the end of the study the investigators evaluate and compare the radiology performed US reports and if there is operational biopsy results with the EP's pre- and post ultrasound diagnosis to estimate the diagnostic yield and accuracy of bedside emergency physician performed ultrasound in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patient presented with the complaint of right lower abdominal pain
• Suspected acute appendicitis

Exclusion Criteria:

• Flank pain
• Previous appendectomy
• Pregnancy
• Unstable vital signs
• Frank peritonitis
• US performed before EP's examination