Methodology: 2.5/5
Usefulness: 3.5/5d
Gaudreau-Simard M, et al. Ultrasound J. 2024 Feb 22;16(1):15. doi: 10.1186/s13089-023-00352-3.
Question and Methods: The authors aimed to determine the test characteristics of point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) for detecting hydronephrosis in acute kidney injury.
Findings: From 65 patients, POCUS had a sensitivity of 85% (95% CI 71-94%), specificity of 78% (95% CI 68-87%), positive likelihood ratio of 3.94, and negative likelihood ratio of 0.19 for detecting hydronephrosis.
Limitations: The study was retrospective, single-centered, and had both selection and spectrum bias, likely overestimating the test characteristics of POCUS for AKI.
Interpretation: Despite certain limitations, POCUS demonstrates moderate diagnostic accuracy and may serve as a useful tool for screening patients with acute kidney injury (AKI).
JC Supervisor: Dr. Ian Stiell
Authors
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Dr. James Gilbertson is a Sr Emergency Medicine resident at the University of Ottawa. He is a Junior Editor with the Digital Scholarship and Knowledge Dissemination team for the EMOttawaBlog.
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Dr. Rosenberg is an emergency physician at the Ottawa Hospital, associate professor at the University of Ottawa, and Director of the Digital Scholarship and Knowledge Dissemination Program.
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