Document Detail


National trends in CT use in the emergency department: 1995-2007.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  21115875     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
PURPOSE: To identify nationwide trends and factors associated with the use of computed tomography (CT) in the emergency department (ED).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was exempt from institutional review board approval. Data from the 1995-2007 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were used to evaluate the numbers and percentages of ED visits associated with CT. A mean of 30 044 visits were sampled each year. Data were also subcategorized according to multiple patient and hospital characteristics. The Rao-Scott χ(2) test was performed to determine whether CT use was similar across subpopulations. Data were evaluated according to exponential and logistic growth models.
RESULTS: From 1995 to 2007, the number of ED visits that included a CT examination increased from 2.7 million to 16.2 million, constituting a 5.9-fold increase and a compound annual growth rate of 16.0%. The percentage of visits associated with CT increased from 2.8% to 13.9%, constituting a 4.9-fold increase and a compound annual growth rate of 14.2%. The exponential growth model provided the best fit for the trend in CT use. CT use was greater in older patients, white patients, patients admitted to the hospital, and patients at facilities in metropolitan regions. By the end of the study period, the top chief complaints among those who underwent CT were abdominal pain, headache, and chest pain. The percentage of patient visits associated with CT for all evaluated chief complaints increased-most substantially among those who underwent CT for flank, abdominal, or chest pain.
CONCLUSION: Use of CT has increased at a higher rate in the ED than in other settings. The overall use of CT had not begun to taper by 2007.
Authors:
David B Larson; Lara W Johnson; Beverly M Schnell; Shelia R Salisbury; Howard P Forman
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article     Date:  2010-11-29
Journal Detail:
Title:  Radiology     Volume:  258     ISSN:  1527-1315     ISO Abbreviation:  Radiology     Publication Date:  2011 Jan 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-12-24     Completed Date:  2011-02-01     Revised Date:  2011-07-13    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0401260     Medline TA:  Radiology     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  164-73     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
Copyright Information:
© RSNA, 2010
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, MLC 5031, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA. david.larson@cchmc.org
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Chi-Square Distribution
Emergency Service, Hospital / utilization*
Health Care Surveys
Humans
Logistic Models
Tomography, X-Ray Computed / utilization*
United States
Comments/Corrections
Comment In:
Radiology. 2011 Jun;259(3):923-4   [PMID:  21602506 ]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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