Correlation of Location of Abdominal Tenderness With Acute CT Abnormalities in Emergency Department Patients

Completed

• Conditions: Abdominal Pain
• Interventions: Device: radio-opaque adhesive skin markers

• Registration Number: NCT00673374
• Lead Sponsor: Duke University

Brief Summary

To determine the correlation between the region of abdominal tenderness determined by the examining physician and the location of acute pathology diagnosed on abdominal CT. We hypothesize that the acute pathology diagnosed by CT will lie within the region marked on the abdominal wall by the examining physician prior to CT.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2008-03-09
• Study Start: 2008-05
• Study First Submitted QC: 2008-05-04
• Study First Posted: 2008-05-07
• Primary Completion: 2009-01
• Study Completion: 2009-01
• Status Verified: 2014-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2014-02-23
• Last Update Posted: 2014-02-25

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 102

Inclusion Criteria

• All consecutive emergency department patients undergoing abdominal CT for non-traumatic abdominal pain and tenderness will be prospectively enrolled, with the following exceptions. For study purposes, "abdominal pain and tenderness" is defined as pain and tenderness to direct palpation in the region anterior to the mid-axillary line bilaterally, and extending from the costal margins to the inguinal ligaments. Consequently, patients undergoing CT for indications such as isolated vomiting, fever without source, staging of malignancies, isolated flank pain or suspected renal colic, or other indications that do not meet the above definition will not be enrolled.

Exclusion Criteria

• Pregnant women do not routinely undergo abdominal CT due to radiation concerns and will be excluded from the study.
• Patients with altered mental status or altered abdominal sensation (due to neurological conditions such as paraplegia) that may prevent assessment of the location of abdominal tenderness will be excluded.
• Preverbal children will be excluded as they rarely undergo CT and will be unable to indicate the region of maximal tenderness.

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
1	radio-opaque adhesive skin markers	All consecutive emergency department patients undergoing abdominal CT for non-traumatic abdominal pain and tenderness will be prospectively enrolled, except for those meeting pre-specified exclusion criteria.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
sensitivity and specificity of a hypothetical limited CT restricted to the region of abdominal tenderness for detection of acute pathology on CT on the entire abdomen.	immediate

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
the percentage decrease in radiation exposure which could be achieved by performing a CT restricted to the region of abdominal tenderness, compared with CT of the entire abdomen	immediate

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Duke University Medical Center; 🇺🇸 Durham, North Carolina, United States