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NCT Number: NCT06887400

Pocus Triage in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department With Abdominal Pain

Introduction and Objective: This study aimed to reveal the effect of classical triage and Bedside Focused Ultrasonography (POCUS) in addition to classical triage on diagnosis, treatment, emergency department follow-up and its relationship with triage models in patients presenting to the emergency department with abdominal pain complaints.

METHOD: This randomized, controlled, prospective study was conducted with a total of 262 volunteer participants who were divided into two groups as 127 classical triage and 135 POCUS in addition to classical triage with non-traumatic abdominal pain. The decision of which participant would be included in which group was made at a 1:1 ratio using a computer-aided randomization table. The researcher did not intervene in the clinical processes in any way. In this study, the effect of POCUS application performed in addition to classical triage on clinical processes (imaging request, initial analgesia administration time, consultation request, emergency department stay and outcome) in the primary outcome and on triage systems in the secondary outcome were evaluated. IBM SPSS 21.0 software was used for statistical analysis of the data.

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Key information

Conditions

Abdominal Pain (AP) Abdominal Pain Disease Attributes Emergencies Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms, Digestive Triage

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Sakarya Training and Research Hospital

Sakarya, Adapazarı, 54100, Turkey (Türkiye)

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Present to the emergency room with abdominal pain
  • No history of trauma in the last 48 hours
  • Stable hemodynamics

Exclusion criteria

  • According to the 3-way triage, the color code is red
  • Being under the age of 18
  • Being pregnant
  • Having a history of trauma within the last 48 hours
  • Being morbidly obese
  • Having mental retardation
  • Having repeated emergency room visits
  • Being referred from the polyclinic to the emergency room with a diagnosis
  • Filling the study form incompletely

Treatment and study plan

Point of care ultrasound (POCUS)

Other

In this study, POCUS was performed by the same emergency medicine physician who had basic and advanced USG training and at least two years of POCUS experience, in accordance with ACEP imaging protocols. A portable USG device with B-Mode, M-Mode, Color Doppler, Power Doppler, Pulsed Wave Doppler modes, and which can be used in all clinical modes with a single probe was used during the protocol application (Butterfly iQ+™, Burlington, United States). Eight abdominal points (epigastric region, right upper quadrant, right side, right lower quadrant, suprapubic region, left lower quadrant, left side and upper quadrant, umbilical region) were scanned with POCUS, the findings were recorded on the previously prepared form, the triage categories of the patients (cl) were updated and the patients were directed to the area where they would be examined with the form.

Primary outcomes

  1. Time to initial analgesia

    Time frame: 6 months

    To evaluate the effect of adding the POCUS application to conventional triage on clinical processes, including imaging requests, time to initial analgesia.

  2. Request for additional medical imaging

    Time frame: 6 months

    To evaluate the effect of adding the POCUS application to conventional triage on imaging requests.

  3. Emergency department length of stay

    Time frame: 6 months

    To evaluate the effect of adding POCUS to conventional triage on the length of stay of patients in the emergency department.

Other outcomes

  1. POCUS diagnostic sensitivity

    Time frame: 6 months

    To determine the diagnostic sensitivity of POCUS performed during triage using the final reports of patients who requested imaging.

  2. Emergency severity index Outcome Measure

    Time frame: 6 months

    To examine the categorization changes after POCUS with the emergency severity index before POCUS application.

  3. Manchester Triage System Outcome Measure

    Time frame: 6 months

    To examine the categorization changes after POCUS with Manchester triage system before POCUS application.

  4. 3-group triage system Outcome Measure

    Time frame: 6 months

    To examine the categorization changes after POCUS with 3-group triage system before POCUS application

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Sakarya University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Focused Point-of-Care Ultrasonography Triage and Classical Triage in Patients Applying to The Emergency Department With Abdominal Pain

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Mar 20, 2025
Registry last updated
Mar 20, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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