Adult intussusception diagnosed with point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS)

Diagnosing critical gastrointestinal emergencies using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in the emergency department (ED) has rarely been highlighted in the medical literature. Because most abdominal conditions require advanced imaging, diagnosis is often delayed, particularly in rare cases such as adult intussusception. The rarity of this condition and its nonspecific symptoms pose a threat to the flow of patient management and eventually cause a backlog in an already congested ED. In this context, ultrasound—a readily available bedside modality—can help expedite patient disposition. This case report describes the early clinical suspicion of intussusception in a 22-year-old Malay gentleman, aided by POCUS. He presented to the ED with chronic, intermittent abdominal pain for the past two months, which had recently been accompanied by acute symptoms of vomiting and hematochezia. A bedside scan revealed ultrasonographic signs of intussusception, which were later confirmed by a formal ultrasound. This case highlights the use of bedside POCUS as a valuable diagnostic tool for real-time detection of gastrointestinal emergencies and highlights its potential role to improve diagnostic accuracy in acute care settings.