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Chawla T, Gopee-Ramanan P, Green CR, Hartery A, Kassam Z, Murray N, Vu KN, Kirkpatrick IDC. CAR/CETARS/CSAR Practice Guideline on Imaging the Adult Patient With Right Lower Quadrant Pain. Can Assoc Radiol J 2025; 76:33-43. [PMID: 39066632 DOI: 10.1177/08465371241266568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In 2023, the Canadian Society of Abdominal Radiology (CSAR) and Canadian Emergency, Trauma, and Acute Care Radiology Society (CETARS) received Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) member feedback that there was an unmet educational need for guidance in the imaging investigation of right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain. Members requested specific guidance on how to handle controversial scenarios including which test to order when, specifics of imaging protocols, and managing pregnant patients who have RLQ pain-all from a Canadian perspective. After conducting an exhaustive literature review, the working group agreed that a Canadian-specific set of guidelines was warranted. The management recommendations presented in this guideline were discussed as a group to achieve expert consensus. As the workup for RLQ pain can vary considerably in the paediatric population, the scope of this paper was restricted to adults (18 years of age or older). Whenever possible, the best evidence was used to inform the clinical guidance, and where gaps existed, the guidelines reflect consensus among experts in the field. The result is a framework to aid in this process of managing patients with RLQ pain across various clinical scenarios while addressing current questions and controversies, particularly those most relevant to the Canadian healthcare system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Chawla
- Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Prasaanthan Gopee-Ramanan
- Department of Radiology, McMaster University Health Sciences Centre (HSC - 3N26), Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | | | - Angus Hartery
- Discipline of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Health Sciences Centre, St John's, NL, Canada
| | - Zahra Kassam
- Department of Medical Imaging, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- St. Joseph's Health Care London, London, ON, Canada
| | - Nicolas Murray
- Emergency and Trauma Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kim-Nhien Vu
- Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
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2
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Broder JS. Miles to go before we sleep: Does increasing abdominal computed tomography utilization really improve patient-oriented outcomes? Acad Emerg Med 2025; 32:179-182. [PMID: 39487590 DOI: 10.1111/acem.15042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2024] [Revised: 10/07/2024] [Accepted: 10/08/2024] [Indexed: 11/04/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Seth Broder
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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3
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Bonomo RA, Tamma PD, Abrahamian FM, Bessesen M, Chow AW, Dellinger EP, Edwards MS, Goldstein E, Hayden MK, Humphries R, Kaye KS, Potoski BA, Rodríguez-Baño J, Sawyer R, Skalweit M, Snydman DR, Donnelly K, Loveless J. 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America on Complicated Intra-abdominal Infections: Diagnostic Imaging of Suspected Acute Appendicitis in Adults, Children, and Pregnant People. Clin Infect Dis 2024; 79:S94-S103. [PMID: 38963819 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciae348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
This paper is part of a clinical practice guideline update on the risk assessment, diagnostic imaging, and microbiological evaluation of complicated intra-abdominal infections in adults, children, and pregnant people, developed by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). In this paper, the panel provides recommendations for diagnostic imaging of suspected acute appendicitis. The panel's recommendations are based on evidence derived from systematic literature reviews and adhere to a standardized methodology for rating the certainty of evidence and strength of recommendation according to the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Bonomo
- Medical Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Clinician Scientist Investigator, Research Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Departments of Medicine, Pharmacology, Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- CWRU-Cleveland VAMC Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Epidemiology (Case VA CARES) Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Pranita D Tamma
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Fredrick M Abrahamian
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Olive View-University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Sylmar, California, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Mary Bessesen
- Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Anthony W Chow
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Morven S Edwards
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Mary K Hayden
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Romney Humphries
- Division of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Keith S Kaye
- Division of Allergy, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Brian A Potoski
- Department of Pharmacy and Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jesús Rodríguez-Baño
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Department of Medicine, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, University of Seville, Biomedicines Institute of Seville-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Seville, Spain
| | - Robert Sawyer
- Department of Surgery, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
| | - Marion Skalweit
- Department of Medicine and Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - David R Snydman
- Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Katelyn Donnelly
- Clinical Affairs and Practice Guidelines, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Arlington, Virginia, USA
| | - Jennifer Loveless
- Clinical Affairs and Practice Guidelines, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Arlington, Virginia, USA
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Bonomo RA, Chow AW, Edwards MS, Humphries R, Tamma PD, Abrahamian FM, Bessesen M, Dellinger EP, Goldstein E, Hayden MK, Kaye KS, Potoski BA, Rodríguez-Baño J, Sawyer R, Skalweit M, Snydman DR, Pahlke S, Donnelly K, Loveless J. 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America on Complicated Intra-abdominal Infections: Risk Assessment, Diagnostic Imaging, and Microbiological Evaluation in Adults, Children, and Pregnant People. Clin Infect Dis 2024; 79:S81-S87. [PMID: 38965057 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciae346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
As the first part of an update to the clinical practice guideline on the diagnosis and management of complicated intra-abdominal infections in adults, children, and pregnant people, developed by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the panel presents 21 updated recommendations. These recommendations span risk assessment, diagnostic imaging, and microbiological evaluation. The panel's recommendations are based on evidence derived from systematic literature reviews and adhere to a standardized methodology for rating the certainty of evidence and strength of recommendation according to the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Bonomo
- Medical Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Clinician Scientist Investigator, Research Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Departments of Medicine, Pharmacology, Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- CWRU-Cleveland VAMC Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Epidemiology (Case VA CARES) Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Anthony W Chow
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Morven S Edwards
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Romney Humphries
- Division of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Pranita D Tamma
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Fredrick M Abrahamian
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Olive View-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Sylmar, California, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Mary Bessesen
- Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | | | | | - Mary K Hayden
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Keith S Kaye
- Division of Allergy, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Brian A Potoski
- Department of Pharmacy and Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jesús Rodríguez-Baño
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Department of Medicine, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, University of Seville, Biomedicines Institute of Seville-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Seville, Spain
| | - Robert Sawyer
- Department of Surgery, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
| | - Marion Skalweit
- Department of Medicine and Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - David R Snydman
- Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sarah Pahlke
- Clinical Affairs and Practice Guidelines, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Arlington, Virginia, USA
| | - Katelyn Donnelly
- Clinical Affairs and Practice Guidelines, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Arlington, Virginia, USA
| | - Jennifer Loveless
- Clinical Affairs and Practice Guidelines, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Arlington, Virginia, USA
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Love S, Mount A, Kinch L, Kugan S, Vora A, Davies T. Quality improvement project aiming to reduce inappropriate use of abdominal x-rays in the ED. Emerg Med J 2024; 41:621-627. [PMID: 39159993 DOI: 10.1136/emermed-2024-214013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is compelling evidence that AXRs have limited clinical value in the acute setting. Despite this, they are frequently used in many EDs. This quality improvement project (QIP) aimed to reduce unnecessary AXR use in a single-centre ED. METHOD All consecutive AXRs conducted on patients aged 16 years and above in a District General Hospital ED in England between 2 August 2021 and 5 June 2022 were included. This period of time was divided into a pre-intervention and intervention period, during which iterative plan-do-study-act cycles were undertaken to implement a wide range of educational and system level interventions. RESULTS 501 AXRs were performed during the QIP. The average number of AXRs per fortnight fell from 27.5 during the preintervention period to 17.6 during the intervention period and met criteria for special cause variation. No special cause variation in CT usage was observed, with an average number of 70.7 and 74 CT abdomen-pelvis scans during the preintervention and intervention periods, respectively. 119 (23.8%) AXRs showed acute and clinically significant findings, and of this group 118/119 (99.2%) underwent further imaging. In contrast, 382 (76.2%) AXRs had no acute or clinically significant findings, and of this group 344/382 (90.1%) proceeded to further imaging. CONCLUSION In this single-centre QIP, coordinated multidisciplinary interventions were effective in reducing unnecessary AXR usage without resulting in excess CTs. The methods and interventions described are easily reproducible at minimal expense and may be of interest to other departments undertaking quality improvement work in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Love
- Critical Care, East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, Stevenage, UK
| | - Alexander Mount
- Emergency Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow, UK
| | - Lucy Kinch
- Emergency Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow, UK
| | - Suren Kugan
- Emergency Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow, UK
| | - Arjun Vora
- Emergency Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow, UK
| | - Teifion Davies
- Emergency Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow, UK
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Masselli G, Bonito G, Gigli S, Ricci P. Imaging of Acute Abdominopelvic Pain in Pregnancy and Puerperium-Part II: Non-Obstetric Complications. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2909. [PMID: 37761275 PMCID: PMC10528125 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13182909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Emergency imaging in pregnancy and puerperium poses unique challenges both for clinicians and radiologists, requiring timely and accurate diagnosis. Delay in treatment may result in poor outcomes for both the patient and the foetus. Pregnant and puerperal patients may present in the emergency setting with acute abdominopelvic pain for various complications that can be broadly classified into obstetric and non-obstetric related diseases. Ultrasonography (US) is the primary diagnostic imaging test; however, it may be limited due to the patient's body habitus and the overlapping of bowel loops. Computed tomography (CT) carries exposure to ionising radiation to the foetus, but may be necessary in selected cases. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a valuable complement to US in the determination of the etiology of acute abdominal pain and can be used in most settings, allowing for the identification of a broad spectrum of pathologies with a limited protocol of sequences. In this second section, we review the common non-obstetric causes for acute abdominopelvic pain in pregnancy and post partum, offering a practical approach for diagnosis and pointing out the role of imaging methods (US, MRI, CT) with the respective imaging findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Masselli
- Department of Emergency Radiology-Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.M.); (P.R.)
| | - Giacomo Bonito
- Department of Emergency Radiology-Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.M.); (P.R.)
| | - Silvia Gigli
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sandro Pertini Hospital, Via dei Monti Tiburtini 385, 00157 Rome, Italy;
| | - Paolo Ricci
- Department of Emergency Radiology-Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.M.); (P.R.)
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
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Monrabal Lezama M, Schlottmann F. Author´s Reply: Conversion from Laparoscopic to Open Appendectomy: Trends, Risk Factors and Outcomes. A 15-year single-center analysis of 2193 patients. World J Surg 2023; 47:1335. [PMID: 36690814 PMCID: PMC9870656 DOI: 10.1007/s00268-023-06919-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Monrabal Lezama
- Department of Surgery, Hospital Alemán of Buenos Aires, 1640 Pueyrredon Ave, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Francisco Schlottmann
- Department of Surgery, Hospital Alemán of Buenos Aires, 1640 Pueyrredon Ave, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Krisem M, Jenjitranant P, Thampongsa T, Wongwaisayawan S. Appendiceal wall thickness and Alvarado score are predictive of acute appendicitis in the patients with equivocal computed tomography findings. Sci Rep 2023; 13:998. [PMID: 36653425 PMCID: PMC9849407 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27984-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Around 8-13% of the patients who underwent CT scan for diagnosis of appendicitis had equivocal CT results. About one-third of these patients had acute appendicitis and this caused diagnostic challenge to the clinicians. This study was conducted to identify clinical and imaging features that were predictive of acute appendicitis in patients who had equivocal CT findings. During January 2015 to June 2021, we retrospectively included 103 consecutive CT scans of adult patients (22 men and 81 women; mean age, 39.1 ± 17.5 years) who had equivocal CT findings of acute appendicitis. Two readers, blinded to the clinical data, independently assessed CT images for the relevant CT findings of appendicitis. Any disagreement between the readers was solved by consensus. The clinical parameters and CT findings were analyzed and compared between the patients who had appendicitis and patients who did not have appendicitis. Thirty-one (30.1%) patients had appendicitis, all of which were non-complicated. The appendiceal wall thickness of ≥ 2 mm and the Alvarado score of ≥ 7 were independent predictors of appendicitis with adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of 2.76 (95% CI, 1.09-7.02) and 1.47 (95% CI, 1.12-1.94), respectively. The maximal appendiceal diameter was higher in the appendicitis group (7.2 ± 1.2 mm vs. 6.5 ± 1.0 mm), but not predictive of appendicitis. The rest of the clinical parameters and CT findings, including mucosal hyperenhancement, periappendiceal fat reticulation, thickening of peritoneal reflection, appendicolith, focal cecal thickening, and content in appendiceal lumen showed no significant difference between two groups. The appendiceal wall thickness and the Alvarado score were able to predict appendicitis in patients who had equivocal CT findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massupa Krisem
- Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pinporn Jenjitranant
- Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Tharin Thampongsa
- Trauma, Acute Care Surgery and Surgical Critical Care Unit, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sirote Wongwaisayawan
- Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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