Test Characteristics –> Sensitivity 92%, Specificity 97%, PPV 94%, NPV 96%
Prospective observational study of convenience sample of patients with suspected diverticulitis who were scanned by 19 ultrasound fellowship-trained emergency physicians and physician assistants blinded to clinical data, laboratory results, and CT scan findings.
Criterion Standard: CT scan
PoCUS diagnosis of acute diverticulitis defined as:
1. the presence of bowel wall thickening greater than 5 mm surrounding a diverticulum,
2. enhancement of the surrounding pericolonic fat (“hot fat”), and
3. sonographic tenderness to palpation.
452 patients analyzed. Median age was 60 years, 54% were women, and 36% had a CT diagnosis of diverticulitis
PoCUS had a sensitivity of 92% (95%confidence interval 88% to 96%), specificity of 97% (95% confidence interval 94% to 99%), positive predictive value of 94% (95%confidence interval 90% to 97%), and negative predictive value of 96% (93% to 98%) in the diagnosis of diverticulitis.
Cohen A, Li T, Stankard B, Nelson M. A Prospective Evaluation of Point-of-Care Ultrasonographic Diagnosis of Diverticulitis in the Emergency Department. Ann Emerg Med. 2020 Dec;76(6):757-766. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2020.05.017. Epub 2020 Jul 9. PMID: 32653332.