[Diagnostic and therapeutic consequences of abnormal ultrasound findings]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic consequences arising from abnormal ultrasound findings in a multidisciplinary setting in the University of Regensburg Clinical Centre.

The results of 1162 randomly selected ultrasound examinations (on 671 males and 491 females) from a total of 14,301 at an interdisciplinary ultrasound unit were analysed. The investigators recorded the findings in a routinely used standardized manner. The records and discharge reports of each patient were then evaluated with regard to the diagnostic and therapeutic consequences of the findings.

There were 1843 abnormal findings in 901 patients. In 114 patients (6.2 %) no adequate diagnostic measures had been undertaken or recommended at discharge, but the reasons for the decisions taken could not be judged (value 4). 72.1 % of all patients were recruited from departments of internal medicine. However, the highest percentage of findings without adequate consequences were found to be in patients of the departments of oral and maxillofacial surgery, dermatology and nuclear medicine.

The number of ultrasound examinations that had been done without adequate consequences was comparatively low at 6.2 %. But perhaps this number can be further reduced by improved wording of the examination reports.