Point of Care Ultrasound as a Diagnostic Tool to Detect Small Bowel Obstruction in the Emergency Department

Abstract

Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in the Emergency Department (ED) is a rapidly evolving field and has improved time to diagnose and management. POCUS of the bowel is still a novel concept for many departments. However, there is a potential application for POCUS to augment or replace traditional diagnostic imaging of small bowel obstruction (SBO). This is a case of SBO detected on POCUS in just a few minutes, which raises the possibility of POCUS improving time to surgical consultation and ED disposition in the future. Topics Point of care ultrasound, small bowel obstruction, tanga sign.