BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the test characteristics of formal ultrasound when used to diagnose upper extremity soft tissue abscess in the setting of suspected @entity281 . METHODS: We completed a retrospective chart review of all @entity1 who had formal ultrasounds at our institution for the indication of diagnosing upper extremity abscess between July 2010 and July 2013. Using presence of purulence as the gold standard for diagnosis of abscess, we calculated the test characteristics of ultrasound. We then performed a series of logistic regression models with ultrasound being the independent variable of interest. RESULTS: Using search criteria consistent with upper extremity abscess, we identified 512 @entity1 who underwent ultrasound examinations during our study period. Of these, 178 met the enrollment criteria. Ultrasound reports revealed 110 negative findings, 37 definitively positive findings, and 31 ambiguous findings. Forty-four @entity1 had a final diagnosis of abscess, and 15 of these @entity1 had negative or ambiguous ultrasounds. The sensitivity of definitively positive ultrasound was 65.9  %. The specificity was 94.0  %. Positive predictive value ( @entity2286 ) of a definitively positive ultrasound result was 78.4  %, and negative predictive value (NPV) of a definitively negative result was 90  %. Logistic regression demonstrated a statistically significant association between definitively positive ultrasound and abscess, but no association between ambiguous ultrasound and abscess after adjustment for significant covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound is not a sensitive method to detect the presence of abscess in the setting of @entity281 . However, in this population of @entity1 with suspected abscess, the negative predictive value was high with and without the inclusion of ambiguous results, suggesting reasonable utility of ultrasound as a rule-out test. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic study, Level II.

The utility of ultrasound for diagnosing XXXX of the upper extremity.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity281 :: ('MESH:D007239', 'Disease') :: ['upper extremity infection', 'infection'] @entity2286 :: ('12211', 'Species') :: ['PPV']
@entity281 :: (MESH:D007239,Disease) :: ['purulent infections']
