Ultrasonography is an effective tool for the evaluation of traumatic vertebral artery injuries in the emergency room

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the feasibility of ultrasonography (US) in the assessment of cervical vertebral artery (VA) injury compared with computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the emergency room. Methods: A total of 50 VAs from 25 consecutive patients with cervical spine injury admitted to the emergency room in our hospital were analyzed in this study. US and CTA were performed to assess the VA in patients with cervical spine injury, and the sensitivity and specificity of US for CTA was clarified. Results: The agreement between US and CTA was 98% (49/50) with 0.92 Cohen's Kappa index. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of US were 100%, 97.7%, 85.7%, and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: US had a sensitivity of 100% compared with CTA in assessment of the VA. It can be used as an initial screening test for VA injury in the emergency room.