Influence on Diagnostics and Inpatient Workflow of Routinely Adding Ultrasound Screening by Pocket-size Ultrasound in a Medical Department

Ultrasound (US) is widely used as a diagnostic tool in a hospital setting. In a medical department, diagnosis like heart failure or most kinds of heart diseases, hypervolemia, hypovolemia, pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, ascites, diseases in the gall bladder/bile tract, urine tract and venous thrombosis are common. US is the key diagnostic tool in these diagnosis, and on early diagnosis is crucial with respect to the patients well-being and inpatients workflow.

1. The aim is to study the clinical use of pocket-size US as a screening diagnostic tool in an medical department with respect to inpatients workflow and diagnostics.

Method: Patients admitted (in certain preset periods) to Department of medicine will be randomized to routinely adding an ultrasound examination with pocket-size device by residents on call. Time to definitive diagnosis, time to definitive treatment and time to discard will be recorded. US findings will be validated against standard echocardiography, or standard US/CT/MRI performed at the Radiological department.