Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 26, 2026

Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Screening for Proximal Lower Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis
Published on: February 10, 2023
Resident-performed compression ultrasonography for the detection of proximal deep vein thrombosis: fast and accurate
Timothy Jang1, Martin Docherty, Chandra Aubin
1Division of Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA. jangt@msnotes.wustl.edu
Objectives:
To assess whether emergency medicine residents (EMRs) could quickly perform accurate compression ultrasonography (CUS) for the detection of proximal lower extremity deep vein thromboses (PLEDVTs) with minimal training.
Methods:
A prospective, observational study using a convenience sample of patients presenting with signs and/or symptoms for PLEDVT. Vascular laboratory and department of radiology studies were considered the criterion standard. CUS of the femoral vessels was performed. Incompressibility or visualized thrombus was considered "positive."
Results:
Eight residents with limited ultrasound (US) experience and no prior experience with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) US volunteered to participate in this study, enrolling 72 patients. Their average scan time was 11.7 minutes (95% CI = 9.4 to 14). There were 23 true positives, 4 false positives, 45 true negatives, and 0 false negatives. The test characteristics for PLEDVT gave a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI = 82.2 to 100) and a specificity of 91.8% (95% CI = 79.5 to 97.4).
Conclusion:
Emergency medicine residents with limited US experience were able to quickly perform CUS after minimal training for the detection of PLEDVT in a select group of patients.
Related Concept Videos
Venous Thrombosis II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
Venous Thrombosis III: Interprofessional Care
Varicose Veins II: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care
Ultrasonography
During an ultrasonography procedure, a handheld device called a...
Assessing Blood pressure using a doppler ultrasound
Pre-Procedural Guidelines for Doppler Ultrasound Blood Pressure Assessment:
Preparation of Equipment:
Peripheral Arterial Disease II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Evaluation
