Gastric volvulus suspected by POCUS finding in the emergency department

Yuya Kitai; Ryota Sato; Tetsuya Inoue

doi:10.1136/bcr-2022-250659

Gastric volvulus suspected by POCUS finding in the emergency department

BMJ Case Rep. 2022 Aug 19;15(8):e250659. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2022-250659.

Authors

Yuya Kitai¹, Ryota Sato², Tetsuya Inoue³

Affiliations

¹ Emergency department, Nerima Hikarigaoka Hospital, Nerima-ku, Tokyo, Japan y.kitai1112@gmail.com.
² Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
³ Emergency department, Nerima Hikarigaoka Hospital, Nerima-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

PMID: 35985747
PMCID: PMC9396154 (available on 2024-08-19)
DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2022-250659

Abstract

We described a case of a man in his 90s with gastric volvulus of which point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) contributed to a rapid diagnosis. The patient had Borchardt's triad and POCUS showed a distended and fluid-filled stomach, which allowed us to strongly suspect gastric volvulus even prior to the abdominal CT scan. Gastric volvulus is a rare but life-threatening condition that may lead to tissue ischaemia and perforation. Therefore, a prompt diagnosis is extremely important. This case suggests that POCUS can be a powerful tool when clinicians suspect gastric volvulus.

Keywords: emergency medicine; ultrasonography.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Emergency Service, Hospital
Humans
Male
Point-of-Care Systems
Point-of-Care Testing
Stomach Volvulus* / complications
Stomach Volvulus* / diagnostic imaging
Stomach Volvulus* / surgery
Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods
Ultrasonography