Covid-19 given opportunity to use ultrasound in the plaster room to continue secondary fracture prevention care: A retrospective Fracture Liaison Service study.
Peter van den Berg, Martin van Leerdam, Dave H Schweitzer
PMID 34530196WHAT IT FOUND
Adding an ultrasound bone test to plaster-room fracture education was associated with more patients receiving DXA/VFA scans and ruled out further scans in 69 women aged 50-70.
Key findings
01Across all fracture patients, DXA/VFA scans were performed in 65.1% during the peri-COVID-19 period and 59.2% before it, a significant difference.
02The ultrasound test ruled out further DXA/VFA scans in 69 women aged 50-70, representing 27.3% of women aged 50-70 in the peri-COVID-19 cohort.
03Among plaster-room attendees only, DXA/VFA scans were performed in 70.7% during the peri-COVID-19 period and 62.0% before it, a significant difference.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study compared patients seen in two time periods rather than randomising them to ultrasound or no ultrasound, so changes during the pandemic could explain the results. The ultrasound was used only in the plaster room, and only women aged 50-70 were analysed for the rule-out threshold, so the findings do not apply to men or older patients. Patients received tailored face-to-face information and the ultrasound result, and some were reminded or placed on a waiting list, so the effect of ultrasound alone cannot be separated. Some P-EU scans could not be made because of technical problems or leg edema, so not every eligible patient had the measurement. The scan count included scans done or to be done on a waiting list, not only scans completed during the study period. The authors state that anxiety and pain could confound the nudging effect.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the ultrasound test alone caused more patients to have DXA/VFA scans. The study compared different time periods, patients also received face-to-face information and reminders, and some patients were put on a waiting list, so the contribution of the ultrasound alone cannot be separated.