Version 1
: Received: 26 July 2024 / Approved: 29 July 2024 / Online: 30 July 2024 (07:40:36 CEST)
How to cite:
Alahmad, H.; Hobani, A.; Alasmi, M.; Alshahrani, A. M.; Abanomy, A.; Alarifi, M.; Alotaibi, A.; Alenazi, K.; Almanaa, M. Investigating the Potential Overuse of Pan-Computed Tomography (PanCT) Examinations in Emergency Departments. Preprints2024, 2024072347. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.2347.v1
Alahmad, H.; Hobani, A.; Alasmi, M.; Alshahrani, A. M.; Abanomy, A.; Alarifi, M.; Alotaibi, A.; Alenazi, K.; Almanaa, M. Investigating the Potential Overuse of Pan-Computed Tomography (PanCT) Examinations in Emergency Departments. Preprints 2024, 2024072347. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.2347.v1
Alahmad, H.; Hobani, A.; Alasmi, M.; Alshahrani, A. M.; Abanomy, A.; Alarifi, M.; Alotaibi, A.; Alenazi, K.; Almanaa, M. Investigating the Potential Overuse of Pan-Computed Tomography (PanCT) Examinations in Emergency Departments. Preprints2024, 2024072347. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.2347.v1
APA Style
Alahmad, H., Hobani, A., Alasmi, M., Alshahrani, A. M., Abanomy, A., Alarifi, M., Alotaibi, A., Alenazi, K., & Almanaa, M. (2024). Investigating the Potential Overuse of Pan-Computed Tomography (PanCT) Examinations in Emergency Departments. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.2347.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Alahmad, H., Khaled Alenazi and Mansour Almanaa. 2024 "Investigating the Potential Overuse of Pan-Computed Tomography (PanCT) Examinations in Emergency Departments" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.2347.v1
Abstract
The increasing use of whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) examinations, also known as panCT, in emergency departments for trauma patients has raised concerns about potential over-use and the associated risk of unnecessary radiation exposure. The purpose of this study was to examine the utilization patterns and findings of panCT scans performed over one year at a major academic hospital. This retrospective cohort study included 599 trauma patients (adults and pe-diatrics) who underwent panCT scans in 2023. De-identified data for each patient, including the radiology report, age, gender, and dose-length product (DLP), were retrieved and reviewed. Ra-diology reports were classified as negative (no acute traumatic injuries) or positive, with posi-tive cases further subclassified based on injury location. Injury severity scores (ISS) were also calculated based on the findings of the radiology reports. Statistical analysis was performed us-ing Python programming language to assess predictors of report findings. Overall, 56% of panCT scans were negative. Logistic regression showed that age significantly impacted the like-lihood of negative findings (p=0.009), while gender did not (p=0.182). One-third of positive cases showed injuries either in head and neck (H&N) or chest-abdomen-pelvis (CAP) regions. Most cases (70% adults, 65% pediatrics) had an ISS between 1 and 8. Median DLP values were 2264 mGy.cm in pediatrics and 2666 mGy.cm in adults. The study showed a high rate of negative panCT scans, suggesting potential overuse of panCT. These findings highlight the need for more selective CT imaging approaches, evidence-based guidelines, and decision-support tools to promote appropriate utilization of panCT scans, reducing unnecessary radiation exposure while ensuring high-risk patients receive appropriate imaging.
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
