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Could Ultrasound Be Used as a Triage Tool in Diagnosing Fractures in Children? A Literature Review. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:healthcare10050823. [PMID: 35627960 PMCID: PMC9141044 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10050823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Fracture is one of the most frequent causes of emergency department visits in children, conventional radiography being the standard imaging tool used for following procedures and treatment. This imagistic method is irradiating and harmful, especially for children due to their high cell division rate. For this reason, we searched the literature to see if musculoskeletal ultrasound is a good alternative for diagnostic and follow-up regarding fractures in the pediatric population. After searching the databases using MeSH terms and manual filters, 24 articles that compare X-ray and ultrasound regarding their specificity and sensitivity in diagnosing fractures were included in this study. In the majority of the studied articles, the specificity and sensitivity of ultrasound are around 90–100%, and with high PPVs (positive predictive values) and NPVs (negative predictive values). Although it cannot replace conventional radiography, it is a great complementary tool in fracture diagnosis, having a sensitivity of nearly 100% when combined with clinical suspicion of fracture, compared with X-ray.
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Caroselli C, Raffaldi I, Norbedo S, Parri N, Poma F, Blaivas M, Zaccaria E, Dib G, Fiorentino R, Longo D, Biban P, Urbino AF. Accuracy of Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Detecting Fractures in Children: A Validation Study. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2021; 47:68-75. [PMID: 33097313 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2020.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This study sought to compare point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) and conventional X-rays for detecting fractures in children. This was a prospective, non-randomized, convenience-sample study conducted in five medical centers. It evaluated pediatric patients with trauma. POCUS and X-ray examination results were treated as dichotomous variables with fracture either present or absent. Descriptive statistics were calculated in addition to prevalence, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value, including 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The Cohen κ coefficient was determined as a measurement of the level of agreement. A total of 554 examinations were performed with POCUS and X-ray. On physical examination, swelling, localized hematoma and functional limitation were found in 66.73%, 33.78% and 53.74% of participants, respectively. The most-studied areas were limbs and hands/feet (58.19% and 38.27%), whereas the thorax was less represented (3.54%). Sensitivity of POCUS was 91.67% (95% CI, 76.41-97.82%) for high-skill providers and 71.50 % (95% CI, 64.75-77.43%) for standard-skill providers. Specificity was 88.89% (95% CI, 73.00-96.34%) and 82.91% (95% CI, 77.82-87.06%) for high- and standard-skill providers, respectively. Positive predictive value was 89.19% (95% CI, 73.64-96.48%) and 75.90% (95% CI, 69.16-81.59%) for high- and standard-skill providers, respectively. Negative predictive value was 91.43% (95% CI, 75.81-97.76%) and 79.44% (95% CI, 74.21-83.87%) for high- and standard-skill providers, respectively. The Cohen κ coefficient showed very good agreement (0.81) for high-skill providers, but moderate agreement (0.54) for standard-skill providers. We noted good diagnostic accuracy of POCUS in evaluating fracture, with excellent sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value for high-skill providers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costantino Caroselli
- Acute Geriatric Unit, Geriatric Emergency Room and Aging Research Centre INRCA-IRCCS, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Irene Raffaldi
- Emergency Department, Regina Margherita Children Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Stefania Norbedo
- Emergency Department, Pediatric Hospital IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
| | - Niccolò Parri
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Trauma Center, Meyer University Children's Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Francesca Poma
- Emergency Department, Regina Margherita Children Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Michael Blaivas
- Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Francis Hospital, Columbus, Georgia, USA; Department of Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | | | - Giovanni Dib
- Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Borgo Trento Hospital, Verona, Italy
| | - Romano Fiorentino
- Emergency Department, Asola Hospital, ASST Carlo Poma, Mantua, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Biban
- Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Borgo Trento, Verona, Italy
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