Journal of KIST Medical College
Diagnostic Accuracy of Abdominal Sonography in Acute Abdomen (ASIAA)
By Mahipendra Tiwari, Deepak Raj Singh, Rupesh Mukhia and 6 others.
Abstract
Introduction
Acute abdomen is conventionally defined as pain of nontraumatic origin with a maximum duration of 5 days that is life-threatening and requires immediate diagnostic evaluation and appropriate treatment. Although clinical examination and laboratory investigations are essential, imaging plays a crucial role in early decision-making. This study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of Abdominal Sonography in Acute Abdomen (ASIAA), a structured clinician performed point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) approach for non-traumatic acute abdomen.
Methods
This is hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted at KISTMCTH from January 2021 to December 2023 among 240 patients presenting with acute abdomen. Bedside sonoscopy was performed using the ASIAA protocol by surgeons and residents who received identical, structured theoretical and practical training before implementation. Final diagnosis was established using a combination of clinical findings, laboratory investigations, computed tomography (CT) findings, intraoperative findings, clinical follow-up and histopathological reports where available for different disease.