Association of biliary distention with a diagnosis of acute cholecystitis.

Background: Gallbladder distention has been described in radiology literature but its value on point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) performed by emergency physicians is unclear. We sought to determine the test characteristics of gallbladder distention on PoCUS for cholecystitis (acute or chronic), and secondarily whether distention was associated with an obstructing stone-in-neck (SIN), acute cholecystitis on subsequent pathology report, and longer cholecystectomy operative times.

Methods: This was a dual-site retrospective cohort study of all Emergency Department (ED) patients that underwent diagnostic biliary PoCUS and were subsequently admitted from 11/1/2020 to 10/31/2022.

Acute unilateral hydronephrosis in the setting of hemorrhagic cystitis.

Acute flank pain associated with hematuria and unilateral hydronephrosis is a classic presentation for an obstructing ureteral stone. However, in the setting of hemorrhagic cystitis, blood can acutely obstruct the distal ureter and infrequently result in hydronephrosis. We present a case of an adult female patient with hemorrhagic cystitis who presented with acute right flank pain associated with unilateral hydronephrosis and perinephric fluid on point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) in the absence of renal or ureteral abnormality on CT scan hours earlier.

Arterial and venous thromboembolic complications of COVID-19 detected by CT angiogram and venous duplex ultrasound.

Objective: To investigate the incidence of thromboembolic events, specifically pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), in patients who tested positive for COVID-19 through RT-PCR in a regional healthcare system in Connecticut.

Materials And Methods: All CT angiogram (CTA) and venous duplex extremity ultrasound (US) examinations performed on 192 consecutively documented cases of COVID-19 were retrospectively reviewed at a multi-centered healthcare system. Clinical characteristics and patient outcomes were evaluated and compared between two groups based on the presence or absence of acute thromboembolic events.

Emergency medicine summary code for reporting CT scan results: implementation and survey results.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess the emergency department (ED) providers' interest and satisfaction with ED CT result reporting before and after the implementation of a standardized summary code for all CT scan reporting.

Materials And Methods: A summary code was provided at the end of all CTs ordered through the ED from August to October of 2016. A retrospective review was completed on all studies performed during this period.

The CT appearance of lower respiratory infection due to parainfluenza virus in adults.

Objective: We retrospectively reviewed the CT findings of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) due to parainfluenza virus (PIV) to determine the imaging features of PIV infection and to identify any differences compared with the CT appearances of LRTIs due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, and influenza virus.

Materials And Methods: The imaging features of LRTI from PIV over a 51-month period were retrospectively reviewed. The specific CT findings and overall pattern of infection in patients with LRTI due to PIV were recorded and were then compared with the CT appearances of RSV, adenovirus, and influenza LRTIs using data from a previous study.

Clinical evaluation of the Trimline blood pressure cuffs with the Accutorr Plus Monitor.

Background: Non-invasive blood pressure (BP) monitoring has become increasingly popular. To assure the accuracy of devices used for this purpose, these devices should be clinically validated using standard criteria such as those published by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). The purpose of this study was to collect and assess non-invasive BP data using the Trimline BP cuffs (Branchburg, New Jersey, USA) with the Accutorr Plus Monitor (Datascope Corp.

Evaluation of the overall system precision of the Welch-Allyn transtelephonic home blood pressure monitor in adults with Parkinson's disease.

Background: Non-invasive blood pressure (BP) devices should be independently evaluated before being used in special populations. The objective of this study was to assess the accuracy of the Welch-Allyn transtelephonic home blood pressure monitor in adults with Parkinson's disease to evaluate the device for use in a large clinical trial involving the safety and efficacy of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor.

Methods: BP measurements taken with the device were compared with the results obtained by two experienced observers using a mercury sphygmomanometer in patients with Parkinson's disease.