RADIOLOGIC PERFORMANCE IN NIGHT AND EMERG ENCY SERVICE

This report deals with radiologic examinations outside official workin g hours in a German university hospital and the influence of new gover nment regulations. A total of 65,113 radiologic examinations were requ ested and performed outside official working hours between 1 July 1990 and 30 Juni 1994. The data were analyzed according to the age and sex of this patient population compared with the entire population studie d within this 4-year period. Further analysis included the time of the study, the organ systems investigated, and the radiologic technique. About one-third of requests occurred between 16.00 and 20,00 hours on normal working days and, thus, could be taken care of by late shifts. Another third covers the time between 20.00 and 08.00 hours in the mor ning, which requires inhouse staff (medical and technical), The remain der of the requests occurred during holidays and weekends in the dayti me. The most common request in this analysis was for portable chest ex amination. About 50% of all portable chest examinations were performed outside regular working hours. In all, 17.2% of all requests involved CT and MRT studies. Government regulation did not change the number, technique, and frequency of radiologic examinations outside official w orking hours.