Identifying Gastrointestinal Pathologies Using Point-of-Care Ultrasound

Patients presenting with abdominal pain require expedited diagnosis and treatment. Computed tomography (CT) scans, which are frequently ordered in the inpatient and emergency departments, have high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. However, CTs are costly, have radiation exposure, can create hospital workflow inefficiencies, and create a potential safety risk with patient transport. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) use is growing as an efficient, safe, and bedside assessment tool for diagnosing and treating gastrointestinal (GI) pathologies. This manuscript synthesizes key sonographic findings and techniques for a series of important GI pathologies that physicians should recognize: diverticulitis, hernia, appendicitis, intussusception, and intra-abdominal mass.