Echoes from Within: Mapping Gastrointestinal Obstruction with Ultrasound.

ABSTRACT: Patients presenting with abdominal pain and/or distension require rapid diagnostics to narrow the differential diagnosis from a long list of obstructive gastrointestinal (GI) pathologies that may appear clinically similar but warrant distinct management. While the workup of abdominal distension currently centers around computed tomography (CT), this modality is costly, requires radiation exposure, and necessitates patient transport, potentially delaying care. In contrast, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) avoids ionizing radiation and the need for patient transport while providing some insight into the gastrointestinal size and function. While POCUS cannot currently replace CT in the definitive diagnosis of GI obstructive pathologies, it remains a promising tool to help with the initial tri

SUBMITTER: Abramson L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12523475 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature