Overview of point-of-care ultrasound in diagnosing intestinal obstruction

Point of Care Abdominal Ultrasound

Abdominal pain is a common emergency department complaint, and point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) of the abdomen is increasingly being utilized to evaluate clinical manifestations. It aids in accurate diagnoses and assists in procedures, particularly in emergency and critical care settings. Imaging is often required to confirm the etiology of abdominal pain. POCUS provides the benefit of avoiding radiation exposure and enables quicker diagnosis compared to computed tomography scans. There is growing evidence of the diagnostic accuracy for numerous abdominal POCUS applications, including appendicitis, intussusception, diverticulitis, gastric ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound.

Transverse colon volvulus presenting as bowel obstruction, atelectasis, and displacement of the right lobe of the liver into the left upper abdominal quadrant: a case report

BACKGROUND

Transverse colon volvulus is an uncommon cause of intestinal obstruction. It is a surgical emergency that can lead to bowel infarction, peritonitis, and death.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report a case of transverse colon volvulus in a 35-year-old Congolese immigrant man who had a rare presentation with features of intestinal obstruction associated with right lung collapse and left mediastinal shift.

CONCLUSION

This case is unusual because it presented with respiratory features that mimicked a pneumothorax in addition to features of intestinal obstruction. The use of point-of-care lung ultrasound was helpful in ruling out a pneumothorax, and this could help avoid situations such as unintentional chest drain insertions by other professionals who may encounter a similar case. Because transverse colon volvulus is rare, a high level of suspicion and awareness is required to make an accurate diagnosis.

Diagnosis and surgical management strategy for pediatric small bowel obstruction: Experience from a single medical center

Identifying Bowel strangulation and the approach and timing of surgical intervention for pediatric SBO are still uncertain. In this study, 75 consecutive pediatric patients with surgically confirmed SBO were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into group 1 (n = 48) and group 2 (n = 27) according to the presence of reversible or irreversible bowel ischemia, which was analyzed based on the degree of ischemia at the time of operation. The results demonstrated that the proportion of patients with no prior abdominopelvic surgery was higher, the serum albumin level was lower, and the proportion of patients in which ascites were detected by ultrasonography was higher in group 2 than that in group 1. The serum albumin level was negatively correlated with ultrasonographic findings of the fluid sonolucent area in group 2. There were significant differences in the choice of surgical approach between group 1 and group 2. A symptom duration of >48 h was associated with an increased bowel resection rate. The mean length of hospital stay was shorter in group 1 than that in group 2. In conclusion, immediate surgical intervention should be considered in patients with a symptom duration of >48 h or the presence of free ascites between dilated small bowel loops on ultrasonography. Laparoscopic exploration is recommended as first-line treatment in patients with stable status.

Emergency Department Point-of-Care Ultrasound Diagnosis of a Large Bowel Obstruction Due to Metastatic Rectal Cancer: A Case Report

Large bowel obstruction (LBO) is a life-threatening condition seen most often in the geriatric population. LBO can present with nonspecific abdominal pain that can overlap with other pathologies, such as abdominal infection, acute aortic disease, intestinal perforation, and atypical acute coronary syndrome in the geriatric population. Delays in diagnosis of colonic obstruction result in significant mortality due to complications involving bowel necrosis, perforation, and sepsis. In the emergency department (ED), abdominal point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can diagnose LBO and facilitate the assessment of the wide differential inherent to elderly abdominal pain. The authors report a rare ED application of abdominal POCUS to facilitate rapid diagnosis of an LBO secondary to rectal cancer.