Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) for the child with acute abdominal pain

Abstract

We present two cases of paediatric appendicitis diagnosed using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) with very differing outcomes. For one young boy having commenced early IV antibiotics he avoided operative intervention altogether with full recovery. For the other boy of a similar age an inflamed appendix caused acute bowel obstruction resulting in surgery and a more protracted post operative course. We describe the central role POCUS played in positively influencing the evaluation of each child presenting with acute abdominal pain. These cases help further the case for its integration into the clinical assessment of such children presenting to the Paediatric Emergency Department.