BACKGROUND: Cholelithiasis affects an estimated 20 million people in the United States yearly; 20% of symptomatic patients will develop acute cholecystitis (AC). A recent single-center study estimating test characteristics of point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) for the detection of AC, as defined by gallstones plus sonographic Murphy's or pericholecystic fluid or gallbladder wall-thickening, resulted in a sensitivity and specificity of 87% (95% confidence interval [CI] 66-97) and 82% (95% CI 74-88), respectively. No prior studies have been conducted to estimate the test characteristics of POCUS for the purpose of excluding acute calculous cholecystitis. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the finding of gallstones alone on POCUS has high sensitivity, high negative predictive value, and low negative likelihood ratio for the exclusion of AC. METHODS: We conducted an analysis using data from a prospective cross-sectional single-center study of POCUS test to estimate the test characteristics using a simplified definition of a positive test - the presence of gallstones alone. Clinical follow-up and pathology reports were used as the reference standard. Test characteristics were calculated and compared to the standard definition, gallstones plus one secondary finding. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of AC was 14% (23 pathology-confirmed cases of 164 included patients). The sensitivity of the simplified definition was 100% (95% CI 85.7-100), negative predictive value 100% (95% CI 92.2-100), and negative likelihood ratio was < 0.1, compared to a sensitivity of 87% (95% CI 66-97%), negative predictive value 97% (95% CI 93-99%), and negative likelihood ratio of 0.16 (95% CI 0.06-0.5). CONCLUSION: Simplifying the definition of the test findings on POCUS to gallstones alone has excellent sensitivity and negative predictive value for the exclusion of AC. This finding, if broadly validated prospectively, confirms the practice of excluding acute calculous cholecystitis using POCUS in emergency department patients.
BACKGROUND:Cholelithiasis affects an estimated 20 million people in the United States yearly; 20% of symptomatic patients will develop acute cholecystitis (AC). A recent single-center study estimating test characteristics of point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) for the detection of AC, as defined by gallstones plus sonographic Murphy's or pericholecystic fluid or gallbladder wall-thickening, resulted in a sensitivity and specificity of 87% (95% confidence interval [CI] 66-97) and 82% (95% CI 74-88), respectively. No prior studies have been conducted to estimate the test characteristics of POCUS for the purpose of excluding acute calculous cholecystitis. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the finding of gallstones alone on POCUS has high sensitivity, high negative predictive value, and low negative likelihood ratio for the exclusion of AC. METHODS: We conducted an analysis using data from a prospective cross-sectional single-center study of POCUS test to estimate the test characteristics using a simplified definition of a positive test - the presence of gallstones alone. Clinical follow-up and pathology reports were used as the reference standard. Test characteristics were calculated and compared to the standard definition, gallstones plus one secondary finding. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of AC was 14% (23 pathology-confirmed cases of 164 included patients). The sensitivity of the simplified definition was 100% (95% CI 85.7-100), negative predictive value 100% (95% CI 92.2-100), and negative likelihood ratio was < 0.1, compared to a sensitivity of 87% (95% CI 66-97%), negative predictive value 97% (95% CI 93-99%), and negative likelihood ratio of 0.16 (95% CI 0.06-0.5). CONCLUSION: Simplifying the definition of the test findings on POCUS to gallstones alone has excellent sensitivity and negative predictive value for the exclusion of AC. This finding, if broadly validated prospectively, confirms the practice of excluding acute calculous cholecystitis using POCUS in emergency department patients.
Authors: Jorge Pereira; Gary A Bass; Diego Mariani; Bogdan D Dumbrava; Andrea Casamassima; António Rodrigues da Silva; Luis Pinheiro; Isidro Martinez-Casas; Mauro Zago Journal: Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg Date: 2019-08-21 Impact factor: 3.693
Authors: Benjamin M Krainin; Lane C Thaut; Michael D April; Ryan A Curtis; Andrea L Kaelin; Garrett B Hardy; Wells L Weymouth; Jonathan Srichandra; Eric J Chin; Shane M Summers Journal: West J Emerg Med Date: 2017-09-11
Authors: Richard Hilsden; Rob Leeper; Jennifer Koichopolos; Jeremy Derek Vandelinde; Neil Parry; Drew Thompson; Frank Myslik Journal: Trauma Surg Acute Care Open Date: 2018-07-30
Authors: Michele Pisano; Niccolò Allievi; Kurinchi Gurusamy; Giuseppe Borzellino; Stefania Cimbanassi; Djamila Boerna; Federico Coccolini; Andrea Tufo; Marcello Di Martino; Jeffrey Leung; Massimo Sartelli; Marco Ceresoli; Ronald V Maier; Elia Poiasina; Nicola De Angelis; Stefano Magnone; Paola Fugazzola; Ciro Paolillo; Raul Coimbra; Salomone Di Saverio; Belinda De Simone; Dieter G Weber; Boris E Sakakushev; Alessandro Lucianetti; Andrew W Kirkpatrick; Gustavo P Fraga; Imitaz Wani; Walter L Biffl; Osvaldo Chiara; Fikri Abu-Zidan; Ernest E Moore; Ari Leppäniemi; Yoram Kluger; Fausto Catena; Luca Ansaloni Journal: World J Emerg Surg Date: 2020-11-05 Impact factor: 5.469