Identifying Retrocecal Appendicitis on Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

Eric Scheier; Britta Budde-Schwartzman; Valery Kartun; Uri Balla

doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2020.05.002

Identifying Retrocecal Appendicitis on Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

J Emerg Med. 2020 Sep;59(3):413-417. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2020.05.002. Epub 2020 Jun 19.

Authors

Eric Scheier¹, Britta Budde-Schwartzman², Valery Kartun², Uri Balla¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Rehovot, Israel.
² Department of Pediatric Surgery, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel.

PMID: 32571638
DOI: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2020.05.002

Abstract

Background: Retrocecal appendicitis may be challenging to find. We present the first case series in which retrocecal appendicitis was found on point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS).

Case reports: In each of the five cases, appendicitis was found by a pediatric emergency physician in the right periumbilical region or right upper quadrant. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: The POCUS practitioner should scan both the right upper and right lower quadrant of the abdomen in search of appendicitis, as well as in search of signs of perforation.

Keywords: POCUS; appendicitis; perforation; retrocecal; ultrasound.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Appendicitis* / diagnostic imaging
Child
Humans
Point-of-Care Systems
Point-of-Care Testing
Ultrasonography