METHODS: We prospectively enrolled children aged 0-14 years old led to the Emergency Department of Regina Margherita Children\'s Hospital, from January 2021 to June 2021, with suspected acute appendicitis. PoCUS was performed by a single trained PedEm, blindly to the radiologist\'s scan. A \"self-assessment score\" and the \"time of duration of PoCUS\" were recorded for each patient. Final diagnosis of appendicitis was made by a pediatric surgeon.
RESULTS: We enrolled 62 children (2-14 years). Overall sensitivity of PoCUS was 88%, specificity 90%; PPV 90.6%, and NPV 86.6%. Global concordance between the PedEm and the radiologist was good/excellent (k 0.74). The mean duration of PoCUS significantly decreased during the study period, while the self-assessment score increased.
CONCLUSIONS: This is a preliminary study that shows the effectiveness of PoCUS in diagnosing acute appendicitis; furthermore, it shows how the PedEm\'s performance may improve over time. The learning curve showed how the experience of the PedEm affects the accuracy of PoCUS.
方法:我们前瞻性地招募了0-14岁的儿童,导致里贾纳·玛格丽特儿童医院急诊科,2021年1月至2021年6月,疑似急性阑尾炎。PoCUS由一个受过训练的PedEm执行,盲目地接受放射科医生的扫描。记录每位患者的“自我评估评分”和“PoCUS持续时间”。阑尾炎的最终诊断是由儿科外科医生做出的。
结果:我们招募了62名儿童(2-14岁)。PoCUS的总体灵敏度为88%,特异性90%;PPV90.6%,和净现值86.6%。PedEm和放射科医师之间的整体一致性良好/优异(k0.74)。在研究期间,PoCUS的平均持续时间显着减少,而自我评估得分增加。
结论:这是一项初步研究,显示了PoCUS诊断急性阑尾炎的有效性;此外,它显示了PedEm的性能如何随着时间的推移而提高。学习曲线显示了PedEm的经验如何影响PoCUS的准确性。