title: Recognition of pneumoperitoneum using bedside ultrasound in critically ill patients presenting with acute abdominal pain.
abstract: Bedside ultrasound examinations performed by emergency physicians are goal-directed studies meant to answer specific questions. These studies are frequently performed in critically ill patients with undifferentiated abdominal pain who are suspected of having intra-abdominal hemorrhage or a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. Patients presenting with a perforated hollow viscus may have a similar clinical presentation. Although detection of the sonographic findings associated with a perforated hollow viscus is not a current study goal, these findings may be readily apparent during the performance of examinations to detect an abdominal aortic aneurysm or intra-abdominal hemorrhage. Therefore, it is imperative that emergency physicians be familiar with the sonographic findings associated with a perforated hollow viscus. Three illustrative cases are presented with a review of sonographic findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D016638:Critical Illness; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011027:Pneumoperitoneum / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D014463:Ultrasonography