title: Point of use ultrasound by general surgeons: review of the literature and suggestions for future practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bedside ultrasound is increasingly commonly used by surgeons in their everyday practice. Little is known on the practical implications of bedside ultrasound, its efficacy and safety.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To carry out a review of the literature on bedside ultrasound as performed by surgeons.
  
  
  METHODS
  Searching was carried out through Ovid Medline 1950 to current; the Ovid EMBASE 1980 to current; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PubMed and Google Scholar. Studies were eligible if they were any type of study relating to ultrasound scanning performed by surgeons or non-radiologists, using portable equipment and assessed as relevant by two reviewers. A narrative synthesis of the eligible studies was presented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was moderately good evidence for the routine use of ultrasound by surgeons at the bedside for Gallbladder, Thyroid, Parathyroid, DVT scanning and trauma scanning. There was weaker evidence for aortic, hernia, breast, arterial and venous scanning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evidence exists for the routine use of certain types of bedside ultrasound in surgical practice, especially in hepatobiliary and head and neck scanning. Further study is needed to determine its utility in vascular, hernia and breast ultrasound.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Epsom & St Helier Hospital NHS Trust, Green Wrythe Lane, Carshalton SM5 1AA, UK. a.beggs@bham.ac.uk
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Beggs
authors.forename: Paul R S
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D013502:General Surgery / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010820:Physicians; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*