COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

A study was conducted to determine parameters indicating the current u se of computed tomography (CT) in the emergency department (ED). Compu terized data regarding patients seen in the ED between 1/1/92 and 9/30 /95 were retrieved. A rate of 36/1,000 patients underwent CT in the ED (ED CT). Of patients eventually hospitalized, 6.04% had ED CT, wherea s 2.81% of the discharged patients had undergone ED CT (P < .001). The most common region examined by ED CT was the head (55.38%), followed by the abdomen (14.19%), pelvis (11.96%), spine (11.46%), and chest (5 .57%). The hospitalization rates for patients undergoing head and spin e ED CT were 35.99% and 36.84%, respectively. The hospitalization rate s for patients undergoing abdomen, pelvis, and chest ED CT were 50.76% , 51.46%, and 55.61%, respectively. The mean number of patients underg oing ED CT increased according to age with a positive linear correlati on. Head CT was most common in the very young and the very old. Some p arameters about the use of ED CT were identified. The information obta ined will allow comparison of practice between EDs in different medica l centers and will be useful to hospital administrators, health planne rs, and clinicians. This retrospective analysis is to be followed by m ore comprehensive prospective studies involving different EDs in vario us sections of the country. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Compan y.