Original contributionReal-time B-mode ultrasound in the ED saves time in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
Section snippets
Study design
This was a single-blind, prospective, observational study of patients who presented to our ED with complaints or physical findings suggestive of LE DVT. The study used a convenience sample of patients. All patients gave consent before the ED ultrasound. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board.
Study setting and population
Study subjects were enrolled over a 1-year period at a suburban tertiary care ED with a census of 70,000 patients per year. All patients who presented to the ED with symptoms suggestive of
Conclusions
Our study indicates that EPs can decrease the time to disposition decision when performing their own ultrasound examinations of the lower extremities to rule out DVT rather than relying on radiology performed studies.
References (28)
- et al.
Real-time ultrasound for the detection of deep venous thrombosis
Ann Emerg Med
(1991) - et al.
Diagnostic role of ED ultrasound in deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism
Am J Emerg Med
(1999) - et al.
Management of patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis in the emergency departmentcombining use of a clinical diagnosis model with D-dimer testing
J Emerg Med
(2000) - et al.
Limited B-mode venous imaging versus complete color-flow duplex venous scanning for detection of proximal deep venous thrombosis
J Vasc Surg
(1995) - et al.
Vascular laboratory cost analysis and the impact of the resource-based relative value scale payment scale
J Vasc Surg
(1993) - et al.
Increased health care costs associated with ED overcrowding
Am J Emerg Med
(1994) - et al.
Overcrowding in the nation’s emergency departmentscomplex causes and disturbing effects
Ann Emerg Med
(2000) Diagnosis of deep venous thrombosisreview of clinical evaluation and impedance plethysmography
Am J Surg
(1985)- et al.
Diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis
ATS Clinical Practice Guidelinethe diagnostic approach to acute venous thromboembolism
Am J Respir Crit Care Med
(1999)
Lower-extremity Doppler for deep venous thrombosis—can emergency physicians be accurate and fast?
Acad Emerg Med
Color Doppler ultrasonography by emergency physicians for the diagnosis of acute deep venous thrombosis
Acad Emerg Med
Distribution of thrombosis in patients with symptomatic deep vein thrombosis. Implications for simplifying the diagnostic process with compression ultrasound
Arch Intern Med
Symptomatic deep vein thrombosisdiagnosis with limited compression
US Radiology
Cited by (83)
Ultrasound Guidelines: Emergency, Point-of-Care, and Clinical Ultrasound Guidelines in Medicine
2023, Annals of Emergency MedicineA REVIEW OF LAWSUITS RELATED TO POINT-OF-CARE EMERGENCY ULTRASOUND APPLICATIONS
2022, Journal of Emergency MedicineDistribution of Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis and Implications for Limited Compression Ultrasound Examinations
2022, Journal of Emergency MedicineBetter With Ultrasound: Detection of DVT
2020, ChestPoint-of-care ultrasonography in the allergy and immunology clinic
2019, Annals of Allergy, Asthma and ImmunologyCitation Excerpt :Emergency department physicians were early adopters of POC ultrasonography in the late 1990s; since then, technological advances have resulted in enhanced portability, improved image quality, and user-friendly interfaces, expanding the use of POC ultrasonography at the bedside.2 Subsequently, this method has been validated by multiple studies as a safe, rapid, and cost-effective clinical tool that improves patient care.3–7 For example, a recent meta-analysis found sensitivities and specificities over 90% when emergency medicine physicians used POC ultrasonography for diagnosing deep vein thrombosis.8
Impact of point-of-care ultrasound on disposition time of patients presenting with lower extremity deep vein thrombosis, done by emergency physicians
2018, Turkish Journal of Emergency MedicineCitation Excerpt :This issue could lead to delay in diagnosis and management especially in the ED and critical situations. Some studies have also reported this delay of up to 2 hours14,25 Our study revealed that VCU of DVT done by EPs, could decrease the time of patients' management and disposition significantly.