Role of point-of-care ultrasound in renal colic patients without hydronephrosis to decrease the length of stay in HGH-ED

摘要

Introduction: Renal colic is one of the common abdominal emergency presentations to an ED. The cost of imaging, health care resources and time spent in the Emergency Department (ED) is huge. There is good evidence supporting the role of ED bedside ultrasound in detecting hydronephrosis.1,2 We plan to study the role of bedside ultrasound in renal colic as a pilot audit for the QIP. Method: A convenience sample was selected prospectively. In all patients, a bedside ultrasound was performed by emergency ultrasound fellow, focused to answer presence or absence of hydronephrosis was performed. The results of ultrasound were recorded using online Google docs. A CT-KUB scan was performed for all these patients as per departmental guidelines. The results of CT and USG finding, disposition, and timings for the registration, to perform USG, and to get CT reports were recorded and analyzed. Results: A total of 24 patients aged between 18 and 65 years were included in the study. The average length of stay (LOS) in ED was 15.1 hours (3.7–60.3 hours). The mean time to perform bedside USG was 4.0?±?2.4 hour. The average time to get the CT-KUB results was 6.0?±?2.4 hours. The negative predicative value of bedside USG was 80%. None of the patients without hydronephrosis had obstructing stone or required admission. In patients without hydronephrosis, the average LOS of ED stay, in disposition based on CT results, was 2.08 hours higher than the disposition bedside USG results. Conclusion: These observations are limited as part of small audit data. However, it could be future direction to explore, the role of bedside USG performed by ED physicians, in renal colic to decrease the ED LOS.