Diagnosing Extremity Fractures and/or Dislocations Using Ultrasound Presenting to the Emergency Department

United States Army Institute of Surgical Research

Status

Terminated

Conditions

Dislocations

Fractures

Treatments

Procedure: Ultrasound

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT00356837

H-06-004

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of ultrasound in diagnosing the presence or absence of extremity fractures or dislocations.

Hypothesis: Can ultrasound be used as an accurate and effective method for determining the presence or absence of extremity fractures or dislocations? Is there a difference in amount of pain experienced prior to and after the ultrasound?

Full description

This prospective, multicenter cohort study. The sampling method will be a convenience sample of all adult patients presenting to the ED with symptoms concerning a fracture and/or dislocation of an extremity. Once a patient has been deemed an appropriate candidate for the study, written consent will be obtained from one of the Associate Investigators. Once consent has been obtained, a resident physician will perform the ultrasound examination on the affected extremity(s) and note their findings.

Enrollment

323 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

18+ years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

clinical suspicion of a fracture and/or dislocation of an extremity
Age Greater than 18 years
English speaking
able to give consent

Exclusion criteria

Age less than 18 years, including emancipated minors
Unstable patients with B/P below 90mmHg systolic
Open, unstable, or suspected compound fracture
Physician has reviewed X-Rays and made diagnosis before ultrasound could be done
X-Rays will not be ordered
Patient is pregnant
Patient cannot give own consent
English is not the patient's primary language