Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Hemodynamic Precision in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit using Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography
Published on: January 27, 2023
Cost-effectiveness in diagnosing infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis
F Hulka1, J R Campbell, M W Harrison
1Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University and Emanuel Hospital and Health Center, Portland 97201, USA.
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to determine which imaging study, upper gastrointestinal series (UGI) or abdominal ultrasonography (US), is more cost-effective in diagnosing infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) using a decision analysis model.
Methods:
Probabilities were calculated from a review of the records of all infants less than 6 months of age referred for UGI or US to rule out IHPS over a 3-year period from January 1992 to December 1995. Cost-effectiveness was determined from hospital charges for each imaging study and its possible outcomes.
Results:
The positive predictive value of UGI was 1.0 and US was 0.98 in the 246 infants evaluated for possible IHPS. In patients who had an initially normal study finding (UGI or US), 25% of patients undergoing US first required a second study for persistent symptoms, whereas only 6% of patients who had a negative initial UGI finding required a second study.
Conclusions:
Cost analysis found UGI to be more cost-effective than US because fewer secondary studies were required. UGI provides information regarding other pathological conditions as compared with US.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Peptic Ulcer Disease III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
Few clinical manifestations differentiate gastric ulcers from duodenal ulcers. Distinctions in the location, timing, and pain relief are crucial for healthcare providers in differentiating between gastric and duodenal ulcers during clinical assessments.
Peptic Ulcer Disease V: Surgical Management and Nursing Care
Surgical Interventions for Peptic Ulcer Disease
Pyloric Obstruction

