Value of ultrasound in the assessment of acute abdomen in the pediatric age group

Background & objectives: Acute abdominal pain in pediatric age groups is the most common presentation in an emergency room. The study aimed to diagnose cases of pediatric acute abdomen based on the ultrasound findings and determine the value of ultrasound in decision-making. Methods: A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted in the Raparin Hospital in Erbil City/Iraq from Feb 2021 to June 2022. A convenience sampling method was used, and 200 patients who complained of acute abdominal pain were included in the study. The questionnaire was designed for data collection. A specialist pediatrician clinically examined the children; investigations were done then referred to the radiology department for an ultrasound examination. Results: The ages of the involved cases ranged from one month to 15 years. Among them, 56.0% were males compared to 44.0% females, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.27:1. Regarding provisional clinical diagnosis of the patients, 60.0% presented with gastrointestinal problems among them, 39.2% had Gastroenteritis, 28.3% had appendicitis, 5.8% intestinal obstruction, 4.2% appendicular mass, 1.7% perforated appendix with the same percentage for intussusception, 23.0% suffered from mesenteric lymphadenitis, 7.0% had genitourinary symptoms and 6.0% were presented with non-specific symptoms. There was a highly significant association between the management plan and the surgical outcome of the cases, where the ultrasound was diagnostic among the majority (95.3%) of the operated patients. Conclusions: Ultrasound helped in earlier diagnoses of acute abdominal conditions and reduced radiation exposure to the pediatric age group.