{"title":"Use of point of care bowel ultrasound (BUS) for diagnosis of suspected necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC): A feasibility study.","authors":"Amitava Sur, Namitha Gopinathansarasa","doi":"10.1177/17511437251346376","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a potentially fatal comorbidity of prematurity with one in five affected requiring surgical intervention. Despite its seriousness, there is lack of objective radiographic criteria on plain abdomnial radiographs (X-ray) to guide prognosis and decision making. Point of care bowel ultrasound (BUS) provides a more dynamic assessment and more information around bowel health. However, there is lack of widespread adoption of this practice by neonatologists due to training opportunities and inconsistent support from radiologists. We present a feasibility study from UK of using point of care bowel ultrasound in conjunction with X-ray to aid diagnosis of NEC. We report that that neonatologist performed BUS when used as an additional diagnostic aid has a higher positive predictive value and specificity compared to X-rays alone. Features like absent or poor peristalsis and abnormal bowel perfusion were the most consistent pathological findings in our cohort. Wider implementation of this practice is limited by training opportunities and dedicated support from radiology team.</p>","PeriodicalId":39161,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Intensive Care Society","volume":" ","pages":"17511437251346376"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12174579/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of the Intensive Care Society","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17511437251346376","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a potentially fatal comorbidity of prematurity with one in five affected requiring surgical intervention. Despite its seriousness, there is lack of objective radiographic criteria on plain abdomnial radiographs (X-ray) to guide prognosis and decision making. Point of care bowel ultrasound (BUS) provides a more dynamic assessment and more information around bowel health. However, there is lack of widespread adoption of this practice by neonatologists due to training opportunities and inconsistent support from radiologists. We present a feasibility study from UK of using point of care bowel ultrasound in conjunction with X-ray to aid diagnosis of NEC. We report that that neonatologist performed BUS when used as an additional diagnostic aid has a higher positive predictive value and specificity compared to X-rays alone. Features like absent or poor peristalsis and abnormal bowel perfusion were the most consistent pathological findings in our cohort. Wider implementation of this practice is limited by training opportunities and dedicated support from radiology team.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of the Intensive Care Society (JICS) is an international, peer-reviewed journal that strives to disseminate clinically and scientifically relevant peer-reviewed research, evaluation, experience and opinion to all staff working in the field of intensive care medicine. Our aim is to inform clinicians on the provision of best practice and provide direction for innovative scientific research in what is one of the broadest and most multi-disciplinary healthcare specialties. While original articles and systematic reviews lie at the heart of the Journal, we also value and recognise the need for opinion articles, case reports and correspondence to guide clinically and scientifically important areas in which conclusive evidence is lacking. The style of the Journal is based on its founding mission statement to ‘instruct, inform and entertain by encompassing the best aspects of both tabloid and broadsheet''.