ReviewCureus2026
Diagnostic Accuracy of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) for Suspected Acute Appendicitis in Pediatric and Adult Emergency Departments: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Review in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound in adult non-traumatic emergency medicine: an umbrella review.BMC medicine · 2026Pooled it
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Acute appendicitis is a common surgical emergency that often requires diagnostic imaging. While computed tomography (CT) is highly accurate, it involves ionizing radiation and potential delays. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), performed by emergency physicians, offers a rapid, radiation-free alternative, but its diagnostic accuracy varies across studies. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the diagnostic performance of POCUS for acute appendicitis in pediatric and adult populations. Major databases were searched for prospective and retrospective studies evaluating POCUS for appendicitis performed by emergency physicians. The primary outcomes were sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios. Quality assessment was performed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) tool. Data were synthesized using a bivariate random-effects model, and a Hierarchical Summary Receiver Operating Characteristic (HSROC) curve was generated. Subgroup analyses explored heterogeneity based on patient population and operator experience. Fifteen studies involving 2,021 patients were included. POCUS demonstrated a pooled sensitivity of 0.78 (95% CI: 0.69-0.85) and a pooled specificity of 0.89 (95% CI: 0.83-0.93). The positive likelihood ratio was 7.22 (95% CI: 4.51-11.54), and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.25 (95% CI: 0.17-0.36). Significant heterogeneity was observed, partly explained by operator experience, with fellowship-trained physicians achieving higher accuracy than residents. Publication bias was detected via Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test (P < 0.01). POCUS performed by emergency physicians is a highly specific and moderately sensitive tool for diagnosing acute appendicitis. A positive scan reliably rules in the disease, potentially reducing the need for further imaging. However, a negative scan is insufficient to rule out appendicitis, requiring secondary evaluation. Structured training and experience are critical for optimizing diagnostic performance.
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