title: Clinical impact of high-definition endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in a district hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluation of the impact of EUS in clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  All exploration performed during the first 18 months of implementation of the technique were analyzed. Agreement was assessed by radiographic techniques or surgical specimens in those cases allowed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  277 exploration were performed. There have been only 2 complications and they were related to sedation in both cases. The demand increased gradually, reaching 70 scans per 100,000 inhabitants. Main indications were bile (34.3%) and pancreatic processes. No pathology was found in 10% of cases; 29 cases had choledocholithiasis (93% confirmed and treated endoscopically). Chronic pancreatitis was diagnosed in 19 cases (only 15.78% of the cases were diagnosed by computed tomography). 32 patients with idiopathic acute pancreatitis were evaluated: 20 of them had evidence of microlithiasis (80% cholecystectomized and asymptomatic after a mean follow-up of 21.5 months), two cases of choledocholithiasis, 1 with chronic pancreatitis and 9 cases remained free of filial etiology. We performed 56 punctures: 39 samples of pancreas in 33 patients (81.1% of the samples were diagnostic; adenocarcinoma and serous cystadenoma were the most common diagnoses), 13 enlarged nodes and 4 abdominal masses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EUS is a growing demand technique that has low risks and leads to better decision-making in a significant number of patients with different diseases. Therefore, its inclusion in routine clinical practice must be considered.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias, Alcalá de Henares, C/Santiago de Compostela 28, Madrid, Spain. epoves.hupa@salud.madrid.org
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Poves
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: del-Pozo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tabernero
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bardina
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Castillo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019160:Endosonography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006767:Hospitals, District; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult