Brinjikji et al
in an article published by the AmericanJournal of Roentgenology report on the CT utilization for adult patients
secondary to falls in the United States.
Using the
National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, they identified all visits
from 2001 to 2010 of adult patients presenting to EDs after falls. This
database surveys approximately 500 EDs annually for 4 weeks, providing national
estimates on ED resource utilization and outcomes. They studied trends in CT
utilization and proportion of visits with life-threatening conditions
(intracranial hemorrhage, organ laceration, axial skeletal fractures) after
falls.
Their study
looked at 22,166 cases representing 73,241,368 visits in Emergency Departments.
The proportion of adult fall patient visits during which CT was performed
increased from 11.4% in 2001 to 28.0% in 2010 (p < 0.0001), whereas
the proportion of adult fall visits with life-threatening conditions increased
from 5.7% to 8.2% (p < 0.0001). The odds of CT utilization in 2010 compared
with 2001 were 2.62 (95% CI, 2.61–2.62).
They concluded
that there was a significant increase in CT utilization among adult fall
patient visits from 2001 to 2010. Their findings suggest that CT is overused among adults who have
fallen.
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