Accuracy of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Providers in Diagnosing Hip Effusions Using Point of Care Ultrasound

Accuracy of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Providers in Diagnosing Hip Effusions Using Point of Care Ultrasound

The purpose of this study is to determine if pediatric emergency medicine providers can accurately diagnose a hip effusion using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) compared to radiology ultrasound (RADUS).

The purpose of this study is to determine that the accuracy of trained pediatric emergency medicine providers to diagnose hip effusion using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is non-inferior to the reference standard of radiology ultrasound (RADUS). Additionally, the investigators seek to compare how POCUS performs against other clinical tests or investigations for the diagnosis of septic arthritis. The investigators hypothesize that trained EM providers will be able to diagnose hip effusions with high (>90%) accuracy compared to studies conducted by the Department of Radiology.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18 years or younger
• Clinical presentation necessitating hip ultrasonography as determined by the evaluating clinician
• Study physician available at the time of presentation to ED
• Patient or legal guardian provides consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children who present when a study physician is not available or those for whom consent is not given.
• Children who have had hip ultrasound imaging prior to their ED visit. Children with prior hip/pelvis x-rays will not be excluded.