Summary
This prospective diagnostic study conducted in a tertiary pediatric hospital in Queensland, Australia, aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of nurse practitioner (NP)-administered point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) compared to X-ray in children aged 4–16 years with suspected distal forearm fractures.
The study included 204 patients, and NP-administered POCUS demonstrated a sensitivity of 94.6% and specificity of 85.3% for diagnosing ‘any’ fracture. The sensitivity for diagnosing ‘other’ fractures (mostly cortical breach fractures) was 81.0%, with a specificity of 95.9%.
The study suggests that NP-administered POCUS is clinically acceptable and well-received by patients, parents, and NPs, indicating its potential as an alternative to X-ray for diagnosing pediatric distal forearm fractures.
