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Biliary DiseasePOCUSSNCT02682368

Multicentric Point of Care UltraSound by Surgeons Trial

An observational study of Biliary Disease and Gallstone; Cholecystitis, Acute, run by Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown at 5 sites in 4 countries.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Acute gallbladder pathology and acute diverticulitis are common conditions met in emergency departments and comprise the bulk of admissions throughout general surgical calls. Both entities need imagistic description to tailor further management, which may be not readily available at the moment of patient's… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 110 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
What is being tested?
Point of Care Ultrasound by Surgeons (POCUSS), Radiology report and Surgery-Intra-operative findings
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
How many people
183 participants
Where
5 sitesin 4 countries
Study dates
1 Oct 2015to 1 May 2019
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 110 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Patients presenting to the Emergency Department with a clinical suspicion of acute cholecystitis and/or acute sigmoid diverticulitis.

POCUS-1 Inclusion Criteria - adapted after Tokyo Guidelines 2018

  1. RUQ mass/pain/tenderness
  2. Murphy's Sign
  3. Fever
  4. Elevated WBC
  5. Elevated CRP
  6. Deranged liver function tests
  7. Jaundice

POCUS-2 Inclusion Criteria

  1. Left iliac fossa tenderness and/or palpable mass
  2. Fever
  3. Elevated WBC
  4. Elevated CRP
  5. Peritonism - Left lower quadrant / hypogastrium
  6. Per rectum bleeding/mucus discharge

POCUSS-1 and 2 Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Age under 18 (ethical and consent issues)
  2. Pregnancy
  3. Obesity (BMI ≥ 30)-difficulty in performing USS
  4. Previously documented gallstones within the last 2 months for non-critical presentations
  5. Previously documented diverticulitis within the last 2 months for non-critical presentations
  6. POCUS performed after official report (for training purposes)
  7. Previous colonic resection, particularly left sided or sigmoid colon.
  8. Previous cholecystectomy

Trial locations and contacts

5 sites in 4 countries.

5 sites in 4 countries

Italy2 sites
  • General Surgery Dept, Minimally Invasive Surgery Unit, Policlinico San Pietro

    Ponte San Pietro, Bergamo

  • General Surgery Department, ASUITS, Cattinara Hospital

    Trieste, 34149

Other trials in Italy

Ireland1 site
  • Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown

    Dublin, Dublin 15, Dublin 15

Other trials in Ireland

Portugal1 site
  • Centro Hospitalar Tondela Viseu - Serviço de Cirurgia Geral - Unidade de Cirurgia HBP

    Viseu, Centro Region

Other trials in Portugal

Spain1 site
  • Torrevieja University Hospital

    Torrevieja, Alicante, 03185

Other trials in Spain

About this study

Acute gallbladder pathology and acute diverticulitis are common conditions met in emergency departments and comprise the bulk of admissions throughout general surgical calls. Both entities need imagistic description to tailor further management, which may be not readily available at the moment of patient's presentation. These delays may lose the window of opportunity for timed, quality decision making and may induce increased length of stay and subsequent increased costs.

Ultrasound scanning has become very popular over the last half century and the equipment has become more compact, of a higher quality and less expensive, which has facilitated the growth of point-of-care ultrasonography - POCUS - that is, ultrasound performed and interpreted by the clinician at the bedside. The concept of an 'ultrasound stethoscope' is rapidly moving from theory to reality.

Read more

There are a number of studies and case reports that are highlighting the advantages of POCUS, but still common grounds need to be sought after. Some countries, like USA and Germany, incorporate basic ultrasound in their resident's curriculum among different specialties.

In the author's knowledge and based on the literature, there are a few-second-to-none studies regarding POCUS involving strictly the surgeons. The hypothesis of this study is that, surgeon performed ultrasound can be as accurate as the radiologists' findings for basic diagnostics in the aforementioned pathology, leading to real time decision making in the benefit of the patient.

The closing remark is that by learning and doing these procedures the surgeon performing POCUS doesn't undermine his/her radiologist colleague's authority and skill. The big picture is that some basic tasks are transferrable and if used in an appropriate and methodical manner the final common goal - the benefit of the patient - is readily achieved.

Read the detailed description

The study was accepted as a Master of Surgery Thesis by Research (MCh) at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)

There will be two parallel studies done at the same time:

  1. POCUSS-1 for acute biliary disease
  2. POCUSS-2 for suspected diverticulitis

STUDY DESIGN

  1. Patients with suspected acute biliary disease or acute diverticulitis will undergo POCUS performed by the surgeons enrolled in the study. These patients are recruited from either
  2. emergency department
  3. outpatients clinic
  4. ward consults
  5. Patients will have the procedure explained to them and then will receive a leaflet with the same information will be handed over. Consent will be obtained (verbal and written) from the patients that wish to be enrolled in the study.
  6. POCUS is performed and data recorded on REDCap®.

4a. The same patients will have a departmental imagistic investigation (ultrasound, CT) reported by qualified radiologists.

4b. In the event of emergency surgery without prior departmental imaging, POCUS will be compared to the intra-operative findings.

  1. Data will be collected and stored anonymously and processed with REDCap, Microsoft Excel, IMB SPSS, R-studio

DISCLAIMER:

Specific for this study, patient data will be anonymous and in line with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679 law. Data protection is designed by default. There will be NO patients' personal name, surname, home address or date of birth needed or uploaded. Each patient will be represented by an unique identification number provided by the hospital. Only gender and age will be recorded as these will be necessary for the final data analysis and results. Once the study has finished, the data will be erased.

The same rules will be applied in hospitals from other countries that will get involved in the study.

Being tested
Point of Care Ultrasound by Surgeons (POCUSS), Radiology report, Surgery-Intra-operative findings
Keywords
Surgeon performed ultrasound, Point of care ultrasound
Medical subject headings
Gallbladder Diseases, Gallstones, Cholecystitis, Diverticulitis, Colonic

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Point of Care Ultrasound by Surgeons (POCUSS)Diagnostic test

    Also called Sonos®, BK Ultrasound®

    POCUSS-1. To identify the gallbladder and it's contents, complications and perform measurements, elicit sonographic Murphy.

    POCUSS-2: To perform focused left lower quadrant sonography and identify bowel wall thickness, diverticulae, measure the colonic wall thickness, assess pericolic fat and detect possible complications; evaluate sensibility on graded compression.

  • Radiology reportDiagnostic test

    Also called NIMIS: The National Integrated Medical Imaging System

    Radiologist report compared to the point of care ultrasound impression.

  • Surgery-Intra-operative findingsProcedure or surgery

    Intra-operative findings compared to the previously performed point of care ultrasound.

Study groups in NCT02682368
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
POCUSS Trial-1 Acute Biliary DiseasePatients with suspected biliary pathology which will undergo POCUS. The results will be compared to the subsequent findings by imagistic means or at time of surgery.
Receives: Diagnostic Test: Point of Care Ultrasound by Surgeons (POCUSS)
POCUSS Trial-2 Acute DiverticulitisPatients with suspected diverticulitis will undergo POCUS. The results will be compared to the subsequent findings by imagistic means or at time of surgery.
Receives: Diagnostic Test: Point of Care Ultrasound by Surgeons (POCUSS)
Radiology ReportDepartmental imaging and reports.
Receives: Diagnostic Test: Radiology report
Surgical diagnosticIntraoperative findings of patients that undergo emergency surgery.
Receives: Procedure: Surgery-Intra-operative findings

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Sensitivity POCUS

    Sensitivity was defined as the number of patients with a positive detection at POCUS of acute biliary disease or acute diverticulitis divided by the number of patients with pathological findings of the gallbladder or bowel as a final diagnosis.

    Measured: Up to 3 years, after the all the patients are included

  2. Specificity POCUS

    Specificity was defined as the number of patients with a negative POCUS for cholecystitis or diverticulitis, divided by the number of patients without pathological findings.

    Measured: Up to 3 years, after the all the patients are included

  3. Positive predictive value

    The number of patients with a true-positive detection at POCUS of gallbladder or bowel alteration divided by the total number of patients with a positive detection at POCUS.

    Measured: Up to 3 years, after the all the patients are included

  4. Negative predictive value

    The number of patients with a true-negative detection at POCUS of gallbladder or bowel alteration divided by the total number of patients with a negative detection at ultrasound.

    Measured: Up to 3 years, after the all the patients are included

  5. POCUS and radiology/surgery correlation

    Cohen's Kappa for agreement between POCUS and radiology

    Measured: Up to 3 years, after the all the patients are included

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Radiology turnaround time

    Time difference (in hours) between radiologist report and POCUS. For each participant date and time will be recorded in REDCap for both POCUS and radiology report. Simple arithmetic subtraction will be used as an equation cell (datediff). Then mean and median will be calculated to include all patients in the study.

    Measured: Up to 1 week

  2. Surgery turnaround time

    Time difference (in hours) between the start of surgery and POCUS. For each participant date and time will be recorded in REDCap for both POCUS and surgical intervention. Simple arithmetic subtraction will be used in a calculation cell (datediff). Then mean and median will be calculated to include all patients in the study.

    Measured: Between 6 and 48 hours, when emergency surgery would be expected

  3. Likelihood ratio

    Likelihood ratio for a positive test result = sensitivity/(1 - specificity)

    Likelihood ratio for a negative test result = (1 - sensitivity)/specificity

    Measured: Up to 3 years

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted15 Feb 2016 (estimated)
  2. Study start1 Oct 2015
  3. Primary completion30 Apr 2019
  4. Study completion1 May 2019

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
183 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02682368
Sponsor's protocol ID
15190484
Other IDs
255774
Acronym
POCUSS
Status last verified
Jul 2019
First submitted
25 Jan 2016
Last updated
25 Jul 2019
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Specific for this study, patient data will be anonymous and in line with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679 law. Data protection is designed by default. There will be NO patients' personal name, surname, home address or date of birth needed or uploaded. Once the study has finished, the working data will be erased. Only the processed data and statistical analysis will be preserved.

Publications

  • Dumbrava BD, Bass GA, Jumean A, Birido N, Corbally M, Pereira J, Biloslavo A, Zago M, Walsh TN. The Accuracy of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in Acute Gallbladder Disease. Diagnostics (Basel). 2023 Mar 26;13(7):1248. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics13071248.

    PubMed 37046466
  • Dumbrava BD, Abdulla HS, Pereira J, Biloslavo A, Zago M, Hashem JH, Kumar N, Corbally M, Bass GA, Walsh TN. Surgeon-Performed Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Acute Sigmoid Diverticulitis: A Pragmatic Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study. Cureus. 2023 Jan 3;15(1):e33292. doi: 10.7759/cureus.33292. eCollection 2023 Jan.

    PubMed 36741667

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Biliary Disease and Gallstone; Cholecystitis, Acute, run by Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown at 5 sites in 4 countries.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 Jul 2019. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 5 sites in Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Spain. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Sensitivity POCUS (time frame: Up to 3 years, after the all the patients are included). The study lists 5 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02682368, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 25 Jul 2019.

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