title: Comparison of diagnostic value of conventional ultrasonography by emergency physicians with Doppler ultrasonography by radiology physicians for diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine sensitivity, specificity and other operating characteristics of bedside three-point compression ultrasonography performed in emergency department by emergency physicians in comparison with duplex ultrasonography.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cross-sectional study at Rasoul-e-Akram Hospital in Tehran, Iran, prospectively evaluated 81 suspected patients of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis between March 2006 and March 2007. A trained second-year resident and one attending physician of emergency medicine evaluated the veins of all the patients with through compression ultrasonography. Then, a second-year resident of radiology assessed the patients with duplex ultrasonography. Finally, data were compared and quantitative and categorical variables were worked out along with other statistical analysis through SPSS version 16.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients was 47.2 +/- 18.6 years. When cases who lost the compressibility of at least one of their femoral or popliteal veins were considered to be positive, there were 80.2% diagnosed by compression ultrasonography and 79% by the duplex variety. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the former in comparison with the latter were 85.9%, 41.2% and 84.6% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compression ultrasonography has relatively an acceptable sensitivity and accuracy level, but has low specificity in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis in the hands of Iranian emergency physicians. It is better to implement duplex ultrasonography whenever accessible. Otherwise, compression ultrasonography results should be compared with the results of duplex ultrasonography as soon as possible.
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Saeed
authors: S
authors: Abbasi
authors: Ehsan
authors: E
authors: Bolverdi
authors: Mohammad Amin
authors: MA
authors: Zare
authors: Peyman
authors: P
authors: Hafezimoghadam
authors: Marzieh
authors: M
authors: Fathi
authors: Davood
authors: D
authors: Farsi
authors: Mehrdad
authors: M
authors: Moghimi
mesh_terms: D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004635:Emergency Medicine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011871:Radiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*