Whole-body bedside ultrasound in older adults after a fall
Official title: The Effect of Whole-Body Point-of-Care Ultrasonography on Emergency Department Management of Patients Aged 65 Years and Older Presenting With a Ground-Level Fall
Run by Kocaeli City Hospital · NCT07886164 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether doing a full-body ultrasound at the bedside changes how doctors manage older adults (65+) who come to the emergency department after a fall.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 65 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 105 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Kocaeli City Hospital Government |
| Locations | 1 site (İzmit, Kocaeli) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 12, 2026 |
| Main results expected | October 2027 |
| Study ends | December 2027 |
| Registry record updated | October 21, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07886164 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults aged 65 years and older presenting to the ED after a ground-level fall, able to provide consent or have a representative consent.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with high-energy trauma, hemodynamic instability requiring resuscitation, or conditions preventing ultrasound may not benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a prospective, single-center observational cohort study conducted in the emergency department of Kocaeli City Hospital in Türkiye over 12 months. Consecutive patients aged 65 years or older presenting after a ground-level fall are enrolled after obtaining consent. After initial clinical assessment, physicians record their working diagnosis and planned tests and treatments, then a trained emergency medicine team performs a structured whole-body point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) blinded to the initial plan. The ultrasound evaluates vascular, cardiac, abdominal, and thoracic structures to identify findings that might alter management, with outcomes including changes in diagnosis, consultations, tests, procedures, disposition, and a one-week follow-up for death or return visits.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could help clinicians more accurately identify underlying causes of falls and tailor management accordingly.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies in emergency medicine support that targeted imaging can influence clinical decisions, though whole-body POCUS in this exact setting is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 65 years or older * Presentation to the emergency department after a ground-level fall * No condition preventing whole-body ultrasound (no amputation preventing quadriceps muscle measurement; no open wound or burn on the chest or abdomen preventing cardiac ultrasound or FAST; no neck lesion preventing carotid ultrasound) * Written informed consent given by the patient or a legal representative Exclusion Criteria: * High-energy trauma mechanism (e.g., traffic accident, fall from height, crush injury) * Hemodynamic instability requiring priority resuscitation * Withdrawal of consent * Loss to follow-up or missing outcome data
Where it's running
-
Kocaeli City Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine
İzmit, Kocaeli, Turkey (Türkiye) Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Asım Enes Özbek, MD, Assoc. Prof. — Kocaeli City Hospital
- Study coordinator: Melike Yılmaz, MD
- Email: md.melikeyilmaz@gmail.com
- Phone: +90 538 892 99 06
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.