This was a systematic review evaluating the operating characteristics of emergency department (ED) performed ultrasonography for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). A total of 7 studies (n = 655) were included in the analysis, all of which were prospective studies which enrolled adult patients with symptoms/signs suggestive of AAA. AAA was defined as > 3 cm dilation of the aorta. The reference standard was varied among studies including CT, MRI, aortography, radiology performed ultrasound, exploratory laparotomy, or autopsy results. The operator training and experience, as well as the number of participating emergency physicians in each study, was also quite variable. While the pooled data is displayed in the included table, the individual sensitivity and specificity range for AAA detection among the 7 studies were as follows: sensitivity 97.5-100%, specificity 94.1-100%, LR+ 10.8 - infinite, and LR- 0.00-0.025.

PMID: 23406071