Entrez PubMed
Overview
Help |
FAQ
Tutorial
New/Noteworthy
PubMed Services
Journal Browser
MeSH Browser
Single Citation Matcher
Batch Citation Matcher
Clinical Queries
LinkOut
Cubby
Related Resources
Order Documents
NLM Gateway
Consumer Health
Clinical Alerts
ClinicalTrials.gov
PubMed Central
Privacy Policy
|
|
-
Rationalising abdominal radiography in the accident and emergency department.
de Lacey GJ, Wignall BK, Bradbrooke S, Reidy J, Hussain S, Cramer B.
A retrospective analysis is presented of 100 consecutive patients attending an accident department and referred for abdominal radiography. In general the reasons for requesting supine films appeared sound. Five per cent of referrals were for haematemesis which is not a valid reason for plain radiography. An erect abdominal film as a routine request is indicated only in suspected intestinal obstruction (4% in this series), but 83% of patients were referred for both erect and supine films. If haematemesis were excluded as a reason for X-ray referral, and if erect films were limited to suspected intestinal obstruction, 95% of the patients would still have been referred for radiography, but almost half the abdominal films would not have been required. This would have reduced film wastage, workload and more important, gonadal irradiation.
PMID: 7418346 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
|