Sonography of the hip-joint by the emergency physician: its role in the evaluation of children presenting with acute limp.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a new imaging bedside test called Sonography of the Hip-joint by the Emergency Physician (SHEP) and to examine if its use as a triage tool for the presence of fluid in the hip joint can guide the emergency physician to the right diagnosis.

METHODS: Case series of 5 children presented to the ED with an acute onset of limp. In addition to a careful clinical history and physical examination, each child received SHEP.

RESULTS: Follow-up confirmed that the presumptive diagnosis made in the ED was correct. The SHEP tests were found helpful in diagnosing transient synovitis (3 cases), septic arthritis (1 case), and osteomyelitis of the femur (1 case).

CONCLUSIONS: The SHEP tests provided additional information that narrowed the differential diagnosis, and minimized unnecessary blood tests and diagnostic imaging studies.