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Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Diagnosing Abdominal Pain in the Emergency Department
Sponsor: University of Aarhus
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if adding an abdominal ultrasound scan to the standard examination helps emergency physicians make a correct diagnosis in adults with acute abdominal pain in the emergency department. The main question it aims to answer is: Does adding an abdominal point of care ultrasound scan to the standard examination increase the number of patients with acute abdominal pain in the emergency department, who get a correct preliminary diagnosis? Researchers will compare patients examined with an abdominal point-of-care ultrasound scan in addition to the standard examination to patients examined with the standard examination alone, to see if adding ultrasound improves diagnostic accuracy. Participants will: * Be randomly assigned to also have an abdominal point-of-care ultrasound scan performed by their doctor, or not * Have their doctor record a preliminary diagnosis and differential diagnosis * Have their medical records reviewed by an independent panel 30 days after their visit, to determine their final diagnosis
Official title: Effect of Abdominal Point-of-care Ultrasound on Correct Preliminary Diagnosis in Adult Emergency Department Patients With Acute Abdominal Pain: Protocol for a Multicentre, Parallel-group, Randomized Superiority Trial
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
508
Start Date
2026-10-01
Completion Date
2028-08
Last Updated
2026-09-30
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Point of care ultrasound
The abdominal point-of-care ultrasound examination is performed by the enrolling emergency physician at the bedside, as part of the initial assessment, rather than by a radiologist or sonographer. The examination follows a standardized scanning protocol developed by the study steering committee, covering conditions that are common or critical in the emergency department, accessible to point-of-care ultrasound, and supported by evidence on diagnostic accuracy. The examination typically takes 5 to 10 minutes. Findings may guide further diagnostics or treatment at the physician's discretion.
Locations (3)
Esbjerg Akutafdeling
Esbjerg, Denmark
Horsens Akutafdeling
Horsens, Denmark
Køge Akutafdeling
Køge, Denmark