title: Feasibility and Diagnostic Accuracy of Point-of-Care Abdominal Sonography by Pocket-Sized Imaging Devices, Performed by Medical Residents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to study the feasibility and diagnostic performance of bedside ultrasound by examination of the liver, gallbladder, kidneys, and abdominal aorta performed by medical residents with limited experience in ultrasound, on emergency admissions using pocket-sized imaging devices (PSIDs).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 199 patients admitted acutely to the medical department at the non-university Levanger Hospital, Norway, during the period from April 4 to June 23, 2011, were consecutively included. Six medical residents, selected by drawing, examined these patients with a PSID at admission. Reference imaging was performed and/or judged at the Department of Radiology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Each resident performed a median of 28 examinations (interquartile range 24-46). Imaging of the kidneys and liver were feasible in 85 and 82% of the cases, and the corresponding values for the gallbladder and abdominal aorta were 79 and 50%, respectively. The sensitivity of medical residents to detect organ pathology with the aid of PSID, ranged between 54% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 29-77%) and 74% (95% CI: 51-88%). Assessment of the aortic dimension showed moderate correlation, with r = 0.38.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Examination by PSID by inexperienced residents may allow for early detection of abdominal pathology, but do not appear to be accurate enough to rule out pathology in the abdominal organs.
authors.affiliation: University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.|Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Health Trust, Levanger, Norway.
authors.forename: Ingunn E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Kjesbu
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.|Department of Emergency Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Christian B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Laursen
authors.affiliation: Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Health Trust, Levanger, Norway.
authors.forename: Torbjørn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Graven
authors.affiliation: Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Health Trust, Levanger, Norway.
authors.forename: Hans Martin
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Holden
authors.affiliation: Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Health Trust, Levanger, Norway.
authors.forename: Bjørnar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rømo
authors.affiliation: Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Health Trust, Levanger, Norway.|MI Lab and Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Garrett
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Newton Andersen
authors.affiliation: MI Lab and Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.|Department of Cardiology, St. Olav, Trondheim University Hospital, Norway.
authors.forename: Ole Christian
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Mjølstad
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Annmarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lassen
authors.affiliation: Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Health Trust, Levanger, Norway.|MI Lab and Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.|Department of Cardiology, St. Olav, Trondheim University Hospital, Norway.
authors.forename: Håvard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dalen
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000368:Aged; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004867:Equipment Design; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008904:Miniaturization; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: bedside; education; hand-held; non-experts; pocket-size; point-of-care ultrasound