Background
Testicular torsion is an important medical emergency. The rate of testicular salvage begins to fall after 6 hours from onset. Currently, patients suspected of having testicular torsion based on history and examination are taken directly to theatre for an emergency scrotal exploration which is both diagnostic and therapeutic. However 75-80% of these explorations do not find testicular torsion.
An ultrasound can be helpful to diagnose testicular torsion, but they can be difficult to access within the short time frames needed with this condition. Point of care ultrasound can be done at the bedside, by the clinician who sees the patient in the emergency department and may offer a solution.
Aims and Objectives
Research Question: Can using Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) reduce the number of negative scrotal explorations?
Primary aim: To report the specificity of POCUS for testicular torsion
Secondary aims: To report the sensitivity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value of POCUS. To report a health economic evaluation of POCUS in the diagnostic pathway for testicular torsion.
RESCUE Publications
Sharma A, Nathan A, Rossiter M et. al. Scrotal point-of-care ultrasonography: a UK cross-speciality pilot training course evaluation. 2023 BJUI. Online ahead of print. DOI 10.1111/bju.16146
