Focused abdominal ultrasound

Ugeskr Laeger. 2024 Apr 22;186(17):V10230649. doi: 10.61409/V10230649.
[Article in Danish]

Abstract

A focused point-of-care abdominal ultrasound is an examination performed at the patient's location and interpreted within the clinical context. This review gives an overview of this examination modality. The objective is to rapidly address predefined dichotomised questions about the presence of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, gallstones, cholecystitis, hydronephrosis, urinary retention, free intraperitoneal fluid, and small bowel obstruction. FAUS is a valuable tool for emergency physicians to promptly confirm various conditions upon the patients' arrival, thus reducing the time to diagnosis and in some cases eliminating the need for other imaging.

Publication types

  • Review
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Abdomen / diagnostic imaging
  • Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal* / diagnostic imaging
  • Cholecystitis / diagnostic imaging
  • Gallstones / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Hydronephrosis* / diagnostic imaging
  • Intestinal Obstruction / diagnostic imaging
  • Point-of-Care Systems
  • Ultrasonography* / methods
  • Urinary Retention / diagnostic imaging
  • Urinary Retention / etiology