Diagnosing Extremity Fractures and/or Dislocations Using Ultrasound Presenting to the Emergency Department

Diagnosing Extremity Fractures and/or Dislocations Using Ultrasound in Adult Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department

Status

Terminated

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT00356837

Enrollment

323

Registered

2006-07-26

Start date

2006-08-31

Completion date

2010-11-30

Last updated

2010-12-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Dislocations, Fractures

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of ultrasound in diagnosing the presence or absence of extremity fractures or dislocations. Hypothesis: Can ultrasound be used as an accurate and effective method for determining the presence or absence of extremity fractures or dislocations? Is there a difference in amount of pain experienced prior to and after the ultrasound?

Detailed description

This prospective, multicenter cohort study. The sampling method will be a convenience sample of all adult patients presenting to the ED with symptoms concerning a fracture and/or dislocation of an extremity. Once a patient has been deemed an appropriate candidate for the study, written consent will be obtained from one of the Associate Investigators. Once consent has been obtained, a resident physician will perform the ultrasound examination on the affected extremity(s) and note their findings.

Interventions

PROCEDUREUltrasound

use ultrasound to confirm diagnosis of extremity fractures

Study design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

DIAGNOSTIC

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* clinical suspicion of a fracture and/or dislocation of an extremity * Age Greater than 18 years * English speaking * able to give consent

Exclusion criteria

* Age less than 18 years, including emancipated minors * Unstable patients with B/P below 90mmHg systolic * Open, unstable, or suspected compound fracture * Physician has reviewed X-Rays and made diagnosis before ultrasound could be done * X-Rays will not be ordered * Patient is pregnant * Patient cannot give own consent * English is not the patient's primary language

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Faster diagnosis and sooner definitive treatment for extremity fractures or dislocations.	1 hour

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Unnecessary evacuation in the pre hospital combat setting.	2 hours

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026