title: Routinely adding ultrasound examinations by pocket-sized ultrasound devices improves inpatient diagnostics in a medical department.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to investigate the potential benefit of adding a routine cardiac and abdominal diagnostic examination by pocket-sized ultrasound device in patients admitted to a medical department.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random sample of 196 patients admitted to the medical department at a non-university hospital in Norway between March and September 2010 was studied. The patients underwent cardiac and abdominal screening with a pocket-sized ultrasound device with B-mode and color flow imaging after a principal diagnosis was set. Three internists/cardiologists experienced in ultrasonography performed the examinations. Diagnostic corrections were made and findings were confirmed by high-end echocardiography and examinations at the radiologic department.
  
  
  RESULTS
  196 patients were included (male=56.6%, mean±SD; 68.1±15.0 years old). The time spent doing the ultrasound screening was mean±SD 4.3±1.6 min for the cardiac screening and 2.5±1.1 min for the abdominal screening. In 36 (18.4%) patients this examination resulted in a major change in the primary diagnosis. In 38 (19.4%) patients the diagnosis was verified and in 18 (9.2%) patients an important additional diagnosis was made.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By adding a pocket-sized ultrasound examination of <10 min to usual care, we corrected the diagnosis in almost 1 of 5 patients admitted to a medical department, resulting in a completely different treatment strategy without delay in many of the patients. Routinely adding a cardiac and abdominal ultrasound screening has the potential to rearrange inpatients workflow and diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: MI Lab and Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Postboks 8905, 7491 Trondheim, Norway. ole.c.mjolstad@ntnu.no
authors.forename: Ole Christian
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Mjolstad
authors.forename: Havard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dalen
authors.forename: Torbjorn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Graven
authors.forename: Jens Olaf
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Kleinau
authors.forename: Oyvind
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Salvesen
authors.forename: Bjorn Olav
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Haugen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004867:Equipment Design; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult