Ultrasound Emergency Diagnosis of Small Bowel Obstruction

NCT ID: NCT03226665

Last Updated: 2018-01-09

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Total Enrollment: 50 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2018-11-01
• Study Completion Date: 2019-06-30

Brief Summary

Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is a common presentation to the emergency department (ED) and represents 15% of hospital admissions for acute abdominal complaints.

Plain radiography, although traditionally recommended as the initial diagnostic imaging modality of choice, has a sensitivity of only 59% to 77%. When clinical and radiographic assessment is indeterminate, computed tomography (CT) becomes the test of choice due to its superior resolution and increased ability to identify both obstruction and its aetiology Aim: this is a prospective study in a sample of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with abdominal pain, vomiting, or other symptoms suggestive of a SBO (history of previous surgeries, constipation, abnormal bowel sounds, and abdominal distention). Patients will be evaluated with US prior to x-ray and CT, with possible diagnostic confirms by endoscopy or surgery.

Detailed Description

Primary outcome:

Our objective was to study the accuracy of emergency medicine bedside ultrasonography and in patients with suspected small bowel obstruction (SBO).

Secondary outcome:

assess the usefulness of the history and physical examination in the prediction of diagnosis

US Diagnostic criteria:

• Bowel lumen diameter >2.5cm
• Wall thickness > 4 mm
• Decreased/absent peristalsis
• Back/forth stool movements
• Free fluid

Methods The study is based on the assessment of all consecutive patients (19-75 years) presenting in the emergency department of Policlinico VE of the University of Catania (or to other affiliated Hospitals, such as Cannizzaro and/or Ragusa hospitals), which show clinical clues of small bowel obstruction (SBO). The criterion of enrolment is the casual referral to few previously identified physicians, skilled in TUS procedures and which accepted to take part to this study.

The most similar study on this topic demonstrates an extremely high accuracy of US in the diagnosis of intestinal obstruction, so that no actual power analysis can be done. The rationale of the present prospective study is the definition of prevalence of US detected obstruction in patients referred to an emergency facilities with symptoms potentially suggestive for such diagnosis.

Moreover, which clue, if any, such as anaemia, CRP, NLR, hypotension, could reinforce the need of US intestinal study.

This information is not yet available elsewhere. Moreover, in this context, sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound vs. confirm by CT and other procedures will make more sense and will be consequently assessed.

The secondary reason of this investigation is the attempt to detect which are the prevalence and the feature of under-diagnosis or over-diagnosis by US vs. the actual condition.

IMPLEMENTATION. This is a medium-term pilot study, non-interventional, which can be performed better as a single centre investigation, with few skilled and committed emergency physicians, than as a multicentre study, which would have the possible bias of relying on a mosaic or on scarcely skilled or motivated MDs.

Conditions

Obstruction Bowel

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: COHORT
• Study Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE

Interventions

ultrasound

definition of prevalence of US detected obstruction in patients referred to an emergency facilities with symptoms potentially suggestive for such diagnosis.

Moreover, which clue, if any, could reinforce the need of US intestinal study, such as anaemia, CRP, NLR, hypotension.

This information is not yet available elsewhere. Moreover, in this context, sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound vs. confirm by CT and other procedures will make more sense and will be consequently assessed.

Intervention Type: DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Other Intervention Names

plain x-rays; computerized tomography

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• acute abdominal pain
• clinical clues of small bowel obstruction (SBO) according to symptoms and physical examination in the clinic

Exclusion Criteria

• pregnancy
• post-surgical patients
• Trauma

• Minimum Eligible Age: 19 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 75 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Azienda Ospedaliera, Universitaria Policlinico Vittorio Emanuele

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Guglielmo Trovato, MD, PhD

Professor of Medicine - Research Project Planning Unit

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Guglielmo Trovato, MD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

AOVE Policlininico unict

Central Contacts

Francesca TROVATO

Role: CONTACT

trovatofrancesca@gmail.com

+390953781535

References

Guttman J, Stone MB, Kimberly HH, Rempell JS. Point-of-care ultrasonography for the diagnosis of small bowel obstruction in the emergency department. CJEM. 2015 Mar;17(2):206-9. doi: 10.2310/8000.2014.141382.

Reference Type: RESULT

PMID: 25927264 (View on PubMed)

Taylor MR, Lalani N. Adult small bowel obstruction. Acad Emerg Med. 2013 Jun;20(6):528-44. doi: 10.1111/acem.12150.

Reference Type: RESULT

PMID: 23758299 (View on PubMed)

Jang TB, Schindler D, Kaji AH. Bedside ultrasonography for the detection of small bowel obstruction in the emergency department. Emerg Med J. 2011 Aug;28(8):676-8. doi: 10.1136/emj.2010.095729. Epub 2010 Aug 22.

Reference Type: RESULT

PMID: 20732861 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

USBOW

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id