Keywords:
Emergency, Ultrasound, Diagnostic procedure, Education and training
Authors:
Y. L. Lim, V. Gangathimmaiah, D. Brown
DOI:
10.26044/ranzcr2022/R-0008
Methods and materials
This was a retrospective audit of consecutive ambulatory patients presenting to TUH-ED between October 2020 and January 2021 with a suspected lower limb DVT. The appropriateness of ultrasound was benchmarked against the current Australian Choosing Wisely recommendation.
The following data variables were collected from each patient's medical record.
- Was the patient ambulatory? Yes - continue, No - stop data collection and exclude patient
- Was Well’s DVT score documented ?
- If Well's DVT score is documented, what was the value ?
- If Well's DVT score <2, was a D-dimer performed ?
- If the score is not documented, can a score be calculated based on the documented clinical information ?
- If the score can be calculated, what is the value ?
- Does the calculated Well's DVT score indicate an ultrasound of leg veins ?
- If the score cannot be calculated, what clinical information is missing from the documentation that will enable the score to be calculated ?
- Did the ultrasound show a DVT ?
Ethical approval exception was granted by Townsville HREC (LNR/2021/QTHS/73590).