A Cross-Sectional Study to Determine the Health Outcomes Benefits of Using Ultrasound in the Treatment of Elbow Fractures

Background: Elbow injuries present as a prolific pathology to the pediatric emergency unit. Aim: This study is enrolled health outcomes of ultrasound effect in the diagnoses pediatric with elbow fractures. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 85 pediatric patients diagnosed with elbow fractures using ultrasound. Ultrasound was performed on only pediatric patients aged 4-14 years in hospitals in Basra, Iraq, during the follow-up period covering March 2023-January 2024. Patient demographics, diagnostic characteristics, and ultrasound findings were recorded. Results: The present study encompassed a total of 85 cases of pediatric patients. The most prevalent signs observed included point tenderness and swelling, which occurred in 87.06% and 94.12% of cases, respectively. The predominant trauma mechanism was identified as falling on the same level in 54.12% of cases, while the most common affected side was the left side in 41.18% of cases. The ultrasound imaging diagnostic findings included elevated posterior fat pads in 64.71% of cases and lipohemarthrosis in 74.12%. The ultrasound technique mechanism revealed US mechanism scores of 93.8% in terms of accuracy and 94.3% in terms of sensitivity. Conclusion: Our findings yielded high diagnostic accuracy concerning the ultrasonography diagnosis of an elbow fracture, which allows us to confirm ultrasonography imaging of the elbow as a safe alternative during the evaluation of pediatric elbow injuries