Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health

Study Objective: To determine the ability of emergency department (ED) physicians to diagnose cholelithiasis with bedside ultrasound. Methods: ED gallbladder ultrasounds recorded over 37 months were compared to radiology ultrasound interpretation. Results: Of 1,690 ED gallbladder ultrasound scans performed during this period, radiology ultrasound was performed in 575/1690 (34%) cases. ED physician bedside interpretation was 88% sensitive [95% CI, 84-91] and 87% specific [95% CI, 82-91], while positive predictive value (PPV) was 91% [88- 94%] and negative predictive value (NPV) was 83% [78-87%], using radiology interpretation as the criterion reference. Conclusion: ED physician ultrasound of the gallbladder for cholelithiasis is both sensitive and specific.