Incidental Renal Cysts Found by Point-of-Care Ultrasound: A Retrospective Chart Review.

BACKGROUND: Incidental findings are unrelated to a patient's complaint, found on diagnostic imaging, such as point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). Incidental findings represent potential harms to patients and may lead to increased patient anxiety and health care costs related to downstream testing and surveillance. STUDY OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to calculate the rate of incidental renal cysts found by POCUS. Further, we hoped to describe how emergency physicians relay the findings to patients. Lastly, we hoped to examine if patients suffered harms in the 12 months following identification of an incidental renal cyst. METHODS: From our single-center, academic emergency department (ED), we reviewed renal POCUS images from 1000 consecutive adult ED patients to determine if there was a renal cyst. Next, we performed manual chart review to determine if patients were informed of the incidental renal cyst or suffered any patient harms. RESULTS: We found the prevalence of renal cysts to be 6.5% (95% confidence interval: 4.9%-8.4%). Those with cysts were more likely to be older compared to those without (63 ± 14 vs. 49 ± 15 years of age). Only 8% of patients had evidence that they were informed of their incidental renal cyst. No patients received a biopsy or were diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma or polycystic kidney disease. CONCLUSION: Incidental renal cysts are common and are more likely to be found in older adults. In our study, physicians infrequently informed patients of their incidental finding.

More than meets the eye: Point-of-care ultrasound diagnosis of acute optic neuritis in the emergency department.

Optic neuritis (ON) is an inflammatory condition that causes demyelination and thickening of the optic nerve leading to acute/subacute vision loss. It is frequently associated with other conditions like multiple sclerosis, but is often misdiagnosed, which can lead to a suboptimal prognosis. Ultrasound is rarely utilized to help make this diagnosis, even though it can easily detect a thickened retrobulbar optic nerve sheath diameter. We describe four cases in which ultrasonographic measurement of the optic nerve sheath diameter aided in the diagnosis of ON.

Lung Ultrasound Findings in COVID-19: A Descriptive Retrospective Study.

Background Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an indispensable tool in emergency medicine. With the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a need for improved diagnostic capabilities and prognostic indicators for patients who are symptomatic for COVID-19 has become apparent. POCUS has been demonstrated to be a useful diagnostic and prognostic tool in the emergency department (ED) in assessing other lung complications. Still, limited data regarding its utility in assessing COVID-19 are available. This study sought to evaluate whether POCUS findings in the ED were correlated with vital signs or laboratory abnormalities typically seen among patients with COVID-19. Methods A retrospective study was conducted that included 39 patients who presented with COVID-19 and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) to a large, urban tertiary care ED. The study population was limited to adults aged 18 and above who came to the ED with the primary complaint of respiratory symptoms, met SIRS criteria on admission, and had images of at least one anterior and one posterior intercostal space per lung and a minimum of four intercostal spaces. POCUS images were obtained by trained operators in the ED using portable ultrasound machines, recorded in an image database, and reviewed by ultrasound fellowship-trained emergency physicians. Clinical data (e.g., acute phase reactants and vital signs) were obtained through a chart review of patients' electronic medical records. Results  Both the percentage of intercostal spaces with B-lines and the percentage of merging B-lines were correlated with decreased oxygen saturation on presentation. No other statistically significant correlations were observed between these sonographic findings and other vital signs or acute phase reactants, nor between these clinical data and the percentage of intercostal spaces that were positive for the shred sign. Conclusions With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency medicine physicians are on the frontline of identifying and caring for patients affected by the virus. This study found that sonographic findings associated with interstitial pneumonitis, notably merging B-lines, and the overall percentage of intercostal spaces with B-lines, were clearly associated with worsening oxygen saturation, now thought to be one of the driving causes of morbidity and mortality in COVID-19. As ultrasound has become a ubiquitous and indispensable tool in the ED, this study demonstrated its utility in assessing and managing patients with COVID-19. Bedside ultrasound is a cheap, fast, and non-invasive tool that healthcare providers can use as an essential adjunct in addition to laboratory markers and other imaging modalities for the diagnosis and prognosis of COVID-19.

Point-of-care renal ultrasound: Are longitudinal views of the kidney alone sufficient to rule out hydronephrosis?

Objective: Point-of-care ultrasound for the detection of hydronephrosis is frequently used by emergency physicians. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of longitudinal views of the kidney compared with a combination of longitudinal and transverse views of the kidney on emergency physician-performed renal point-of-care ultrasound to detect hydronephrosis. Methods: This was a retrospective case-control study of patients who received a renal point-of-care ultrasound examination performed and interpreted as hydronephrosis in the emergency department (ED). These were then matched with a cohort of kidneys from different patients without hydronephrosis. Longitudinal ultrasound views and transverse ultrasound views were reviewed for the presence of hydronephrosis by ultrasound-trained emergency physicians. The gold standard of hydronephrosis was an overall interpretation based on the complete ultrasound examination consisting of both transverse and longitudinal views by ultrasound-trained emergency physicians. Results: Renal point-of-care ultrasound exams from 140 kidneys performed in the ED were enrolled in the study. The sensitivity and specificity of longitudinal ultrasound views compared with a combination of longitudinal and transverse ultrasound views of the kidney as a gold standard were 84.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 77.2-89.9) and 92.9% (95% CI, 87.3-96.5), the positive predictive value was 92.2% (95% CI, 86.1-96.2), and the negative predictive value was 85.5% (95% CI, 78.9-90.7). The positive and negative likelihood ratios were 11.8 (95% CI, 6.5-21.5) and 0.2 (95% CI, 0.1-0.2), respectively. Conclusions: Longitudinal views of the kidney on ultrasound showed good sensitivity and specificity to detect the presence of hydronephrosis compared with a combination of longitudinal and transverse ultrasound views of the kidney. However, a combination of longitudinal and transverse ultrasound views may still be warranted in high-risk patients or in those with inadequate visualization of the upper pole of the kidney.

Accuracy of Landmark-guided Glenohumeral Joint Injections as Assessed by Ultrasound in Anterior Shoulder Dislocations.

INTRODUCTION: To determine the accuracy of landmark-guided shoulder joint injections (LGI) with point-of-care ultrasound for patients with anterior shoulder dislocations. METHODS: Patients with anterior shoulder dislocations who underwent LGI were enrolled at our tertiary-care and trauma center. LGI attempts were recorded by an ultrasound fellowship-trained ED physician who determined if they were placed successfully. Pain and satisfaction scores were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 34 patients with anterior shoulder dislocation and their treating ED physicians were enrolled. 41.1% of all LGI were determined to be misplaced (n=14). Patients with successful LGI had a greater decrease in mean pain scores post-LGI. CONCLUSIONS: LGI had a substantial failure rate in our study. Using ultrasound-guidance to assist intra-articular injections may increase its accuracy and thus reduce pain and the need for subsequent procedural sedation.

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) for poorly responsive early-stage IgA nephropathy: a pilot uncontrolled trial.

BACKGROUND: Inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system is a widely accepted approach to treat immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy, whereas the role of fish oils as a supplement is controversial. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) is considered to be involved in the pathophysiologic process of this disorder. Recent in vitro and clinical observations that wormwood can decrease TNF-α levels has led us to investigate the effect of wormwood as a supplement in patients with IgA nephropathy. STUDY DESIGN: Pilot uncontrolled trial. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: 10 patients with biopsy-proven IgA nephropathy, normal kidney function, and a history of at least 3 months of proteinuria with protein excretion > 500 mg/d and < 3,500 mg/d despite ongoing dual renin-angiotensin system blockade. INTERVENTION: The selected patients were given supplements of 1.8 g/d of thujone-free wormwood preparation for 6 months without discontinuing their renin-angiotensin system blockade. OUTCOMES: Proteinuria and blood pressure after intervention compared with baseline values. MEASUREMENTS: Monthly assessment of urine protein-creatinine ratio and blood pressure during the observation period. RESULTS: Urine protein-creatinine ratio decreased significantly from 2,340 ± 530 to 315 ± 200 mg/g at the end of the supplementation period (P < 0.001) and was stable during the supplement-free follow-up of another 6 months. Estimated glomerular filtration rate and endogenous creatinine clearance were unchanged during the entire study period. There was a moderate, but significant, decrease (P < 0.002) in mean arterial blood pressure. LIMITATIONS: Open uncontrolled trial including a small number of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Thujone-free wormwood with its favorable safety profile can be an alternative supplement to manage proteinuria in patients with IgA nephropathy.

FascIOtomy: Ultrasound Evaluation of an Intraosseous Needle Causing Compartment Syndrome.

Intraosseous (IO) needles are used in critically ill patients when it is not possible to quickly obtain venous access. While they allow for immediate access, IO infusions are associated with complications including fractures, infections, and compartment syndrome. We present a case where point-of-care ultrasound was used to quickly identify a malfunctioning IO needle that resulted in compartment syndrome of the lower extremity.

Cost-effectiveness of the Cardiac Component of the Focused Assessment of Sonography in Trauma Examination in Blunt Trauma.

BACKGROUND: Blunt cardiac injury severe enough to require surgical intervention (sBCI) is an exceedingly rare event occurring in approximately 1 out of every 1600 trauma patients. While performing the cardiac component of the Focused Assessment of Sonography in Trauma (cFAST) exam is effective in penetrating trauma, it is unclear whether it is of value in blunt trauma given the low prevalence of sBCI, the imperfect test characteristics of the FAST exam, and the rate of incidental pericardial effusion. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine through decision analysis whether performing the cFAST exam is cost-effective in the evaluation of hypotensive and normotensive blunt trauma patients. METHODS: We created two decision analytic models using commercially available software (TreeAgePro2011) to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the cFAST in hypotensive (systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg) and normotensive blunt trauma patients. Clinical probabilities were obtained from published data. Costs were estimated from Medicare reimbursement and charge data. The willingness-to-pay threshold was $50,000/quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Sensitivity analyses were performed over plausible ranges using available literature. RESULTS: In hypotensive patients, for the base case scenario of a 34-year-old with blunt trauma, the cFAST strategy had a cost of $42,882.70 and an effectiveness of 25.3597 QALYs, whereas the no cFAST strategy had a cost of $42,753.52 and an effectiveness of 25.3532 QALYs. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was $19,918/QALY. For normotensive patients the cFAST strategy had a cost of $18,331.03 and an effectiveness of 23.2817 QALYs, whereas the no cFAST strategy had a cost of $18,207.58 and an effectiveness of 23.2814 QALYs. The ICER was $465,867/QALY. In the sensitivity analyses, age, probability of death from sBCI with prompt treatment, and probability of sBCI were the main drivers of variability in the model outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The cFAST for blunt trauma is cost-effective for hypotensive but not for normotensive patients. The ICER for hypotensive patients was more than 20 times higher than the ICER for normotensive patients. Our results suggest that performing the cFAST exam may not be an effective use of resources in normotensive blunt trauma patients.

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) suppresses tumour necrosis factor alpha and accelerates healing in patients with Crohn's disease - A controlled clinical trial.

Suppression of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and other interleukins by wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) extracts were reported recently in in vitro studies. The aim of the present study was to find out if this effect can be also be observed in Crohn's Disease (CD) patients where TNF-alpha appears to play an important role. In a controlled trial, 10 randomly selected patients suffering from CD were given in addition to their basic CD therapy 3x750mg dried powdered wormwood for 6 weeks. Ten patients, also randomly selected who met the inclusion criteria served as control group. Minimum score of 200 on Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) was required at baseline for inclusion in each group. Patients who received infliximab or similar were excluded from the trial. TNF-alpha level in serum were measured at baseline, and after three and six weeks. During this period all concomitant CD medications was maintained at the baseline dose levels. Average serum TNF-alpha level fell from 24.5+/-3.5pg/ml at baseline to 8.0+/-2.5pg/ml after six weeks. The corresponding levels in the control group were 25.7+/-4.6 (week 0), and 21.1+/-3.2 (week 6). On the clinical side, CDAI scores fell from 275+/-15 to below 175+/-12 in wormwood group with remission of symptoms in eight patients (CDAI score below 170 or reduction by 70 points), compared to only two in the placebo group (CDAI of placebo group 282+/-11 at baseline and 230+/-14 on week 6). IBDQ also reflected accelerated clinical response with wormwood. Of clinical significance were the findings that wormwood also improved mood of the CD patients, as reflected in Hamilton's Depression Scale. These findings provide a base to test wormwood in clinical conditions thought to be mediated by increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha.