A prospective study examining the utility of hepatic artery Doppler waveform analysis performed by emergency physicians for the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis, demonstrating high sensitivity and specificity compared to formal radiology ultrasound.
Abstract
Background: Acute cholecystitis accounts for over 200,000 emergency department visits annually. Hepatic artery Doppler (HAD) has emerged as a promising adjunct for diagnosis. Methods: Prospective observational study of 247 patients presenting with right upper quadrant pain. Emergency physicians performed point-of-care hepatic artery Doppler. Results: HAD demonstrated sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 88% for acute cholecystitis. Resistive index >0.75 was the optimal threshold. Conclusion: Emergency physician-performed HAD is a reliable bedside tool for cholecystitis diagnosis.
CholecystitisHepatic DopplerPOCUSEmergency Medicine
DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2024.xx.xxx
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Active Projects
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Multicenter registry tracking hepatic artery Doppler findings and cholecystitis outcomes across 8 emergency departments.
PI: Dr. Singer
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