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Acute DiverticulitisNCT03279588

Diagnostic Accuracy of Bedside Ultrasound in Suspected Acute Diverticulitis

An observational study of Acute Diverticulitis and Abdominal Pain, run by Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi at 4 sites in Italy.

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

Colonic diverticulitis is a common clinical condition in patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) with abdominal pain. The diagnosis and staging of patients with suspected acute diverticulitis is often made by CT imaging with intravenous contrast, which involves radiation exposure, is expensive and has… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Acute Diverticulitis, Abdominal Pain
What is being tested?
Bedside Ultrasound
How many people
400 participants
Where
4 sitesItaly
Study dates
20 May 2017to 20 Dec 2018
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 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Every patient presenting with symptoms suspected of diverticular disease to the Emergency Department of four Italian hospitals will be considered eligible for the study

Who may be able to join

  • informed consent obtained
  • patients with abdominal pain presenting to the Emergency Department with a suspicon of diverticular disease, in whom the tutor physician orders an imaging study (abdominal CT or abdominal US performed by the Radiologist)

Who cannot join

  • no ultrasonographer physician who can perform bedside abdominal US is present
  • the patient does not undergo imaging study
  • clinical conditions of the patient are particularly severe, preventing an adequate enrollment

Trial locations and contacts

4 sites in 1 country.

Italy4 sites
  • Emergency Department ASST degli Spedali Civili di Brescia

    Brescia, 25123

  • Department of Emergency Medicine

    Figline Valdarno, Firenze

  • Emergency Department Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi

    Florence, Tuscany, 50134

  • Emergency Department Nuovo Ospedale di Prato

    Prato, 59100

Other trials in Italy

About this study

Official title: Diagnostic Accuracy and Role of Bedside Ultrasound in Patients With Suspected Acute Diverticulitis

Colonic diverticulitis is a common clinical condition in patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) with abdominal pain. The diagnosis and staging of patients with suspected acute diverticulitis is often made by CT imaging with intravenous contrast, which involves radiation exposure, is expensive and has contraindications. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and role of bedside abdominal US for the diagnosis of acute diverticulitis

Read the detailed description

Colonic diverticulitis is a common clinical condition; about 20% of patients with colonic diverticulosis experience abdominal symptoms and, eventually, complications such as episodes of diverticulitis or bleeding. The distinction between patients with uncomplicated or complicated diverticulitis affects the clinical management: medical therapy for the first, interventional therapy for the latter. CT imaging with intravenous contrast has become the gold standard in the diagnosis and staging of patients with suspected acute diverticulitis but, unfortunately, CT involves radiation exposure, is expensive and has contraindications. UltraSound (US) is a real-time dynamic examination with wide availability and easy accessibility and may be useful in diagnosing and managing critically ill patients who cannot be moved to CT. In a recent meta-analysis, US exam performed by Radiologists showed a pooled sensitivity of 90% (vs 95% for CT, p = 0.86) and a specificity of 90% (vs 96% for CT, p = 0.04). US is increasingly used at bedside to rapidly assess patients presenting to the Emergency Department. No previous studies have investigated the diagnostic accuracy of abdominal US performed by physician at bedside as an extension of physical examination. This study evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of bedside abdominal US.

Being tested
Bedside Ultrasound
Keywords
Ultrasound diagnosis, Abdominal Ultrasound, Emergency Department
Medical subject headings
Abdominal Pain, Emergencies

What participants receive

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

  • Bedside UltrasoundDiagnostic test

    Patients presenting to the Emergency Department with abdominal pain suspected of acute diverticulitis are evaluated with standard care by an Emergency Physician (tutor); at the time the tutor requests an imaging test performed by Radiologist (CT scan or US scan), he notifies another physicians skilled in bedside abdominal US (ultrasonographer), who evaluates the patient and performs the US scan. Ultrasonographer after completation of US and knowing blood samples results fills in a standardized form reporting the diagnostic hypotesis, the need for additional work-up (if deemed necessary), and the disposition of the patient. The standardized form completed by the ultrasonographer will be compared with the actual management of the patient.

What is being measured

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

  1. Accuracy of bedside abdominal US performed by Emergency Physicians for the diagnosis and stratification of acute diverticulitis

    Sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive value, negative and positive likelihood ratio of bedside abdominal US performed by Emergency Physicians for the diagnosis of acute diverticulitis.

    Measured: 30 days

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Management of patient

    To evaluate the reliability of the management proposed by the ultrasonographer on the basis of clinical, laboratoristic and ultrasonographic data.

    Measured: 30 days

  2. Time reduction

    To evaluate if the use of bedside abdominal US performed by Emergency Physicians can reduce the time needed for the diagnosis

    Measured: 30 days

  3. CT scan reduction

    To evaluate if the use of bedside abdominal US performed by Emergency Physicians can raduce the number of CT scans performed in patients with suspected acute diverticulitis

    Measured: 30 days

Timeline

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

  1. First posted12 Sep 2017
  2. Study start20 May 2017
  3. Primary completion15 Dec 2018
  4. Study completion20 Dec 2018

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
400 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03279588
Sponsor's protocol ID
11004
Status last verified
May 2019
First submitted
7 Sep 2017
Last updated
10 May 2019
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Sartelli M, Catena F, Ansaloni L, Coccolini F, Griffiths EA, Abu-Zidan FM, Di Saverio S, Ulrych J, Kluger Y, Ben-Ishay O, Moore FA, Ivatury RR, Coimbra R, Peitzman AB, Leppaniemi A, Fraga GP, Maier RV, Chiara O, Kashuk J, Sakakushev B, Weber DG, Latifi R, Biffl W, Bala M, Karamarkovic A, Inaba K, Ordonez CA, Hecker A, Augustin G, Demetrashvili Z, Melo RB, Marwah S, Zachariah SK, Shelat VG, McFarlane M, Rems M, Gomes CA, Faro MP, Junior GA, Negoi I, Cui Y, Sato N, Vereczkei A, Bellanova G, Birindelli A, Di Carlo I, Kok KY, Gachabayov M, Gkiokas G, Bouliaris K, Colak E, Isik A, Rios-Cruz D, Soto R, Moore EE. WSES Guidelines for the management of acute left sided colonic diverticulitis in the emergency setting. World J Emerg Surg. 2016 Jul 29;11:37. doi: 10.1186/s13017-016-0095-0. eCollection 2016.

    PubMed 27478494
  • Cuomo R, Barbara G, Pace F, Annese V, Bassotti G, Binda GA, Casetti T, Colecchia A, Festi D, Fiocca R, Laghi A, Maconi G, Nascimbeni R, Scarpignato C, Villanacci V, Annibale B. Italian consensus conference for colonic diverticulosis and diverticular disease. United European Gastroenterol J. 2014 Oct;2(5):413-42. doi: 10.1177/2050640614547068.

    PubMed 25360320
  • Andeweg CS, Wegdam JA, Groenewoud J, van der Wilt GJ, van Goor H, Bleichrodt RP. Toward an evidence-based step-up approach in diagnosing diverticulitis. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2014 Jul;49(7):775-84. doi: 10.3109/00365521.2014.908475. Epub 2014 May 30.

    PubMed 24874087
  • Lameris W, van Randen A, Bipat S, Bossuyt PM, Boermeester MA, Stoker J. Graded compression ultrasonography and computed tomography in acute colonic diverticulitis: meta-analysis of test accuracy. Eur Radiol. 2008 Nov;18(11):2498-511. doi: 10.1007/s00330-008-1018-6. Epub 2008 Jun 4.

    PubMed 18523784
  • Liljegren G, Chabok A, Wickbom M, Smedh K, Nilsson K. Acute colonic diverticulitis: a systematic review of diagnostic accuracy. Colorectal Dis. 2007 Jul;9(6):480-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1463-1318.2007.01238.x.

    PubMed 17573739
  • Mazzei MA, Cioffi Squitieri N, Guerrini S, Stabile Ianora AA, Cagini L, Macarini L, Giganti M, Volterrani L. Sigmoid diverticulitis: US findings. Crit Ultrasound J. 2013 Jul 15;5 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S5. doi: 10.1186/2036-7902-5-S1-S5. Epub 2013 Jul 15.

    PubMed 23902791

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Acute Diverticulitis and Abdominal Pain, run by Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi at 4 sites in Italy.

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

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. 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 10 May 2019. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 4 sites in Italy. 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?

Accuracy of bedside abdominal US performed by Emergency Physicians for the diagnosis and stratification of acute diverticulitis (time frame: 30 days). 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 NCT03279588, which also lists 6 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 10 May 2019.

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