East African medical journal
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Comparative Study
Comparison between sonographic and plain radiography in the diagnosis of small bowel obstruction at Mulago Hospital, Uganda.
To evaluate the role of sonography compared to plain radiography in the diagnosis of patients with suspected small bowel obstruction as well as to determine their specificity, sensitivity and accuracy in the Ugandan setting. ⋯ It was concluded that sonography is as accurate, specific and sensitive as plain radiography in the diagnosis of SBO as well as determining the level of obstruction in a Ugandan setting. Sonography was found to be more accurate at determining the cause of obstruction and detecting strangulation. It is recommended that sonography should be the initial imaging modality for patients presenting with suspected SBO and plain radiography should only be used as a complimentary investigation.