Ultrasonography improves diagnostic accuracy of acute appendicitis and provides cost savings to hospitals in Japan

A cost analysis based on changes in patient care was used to evaluate the u tility of abdominal ultrasonography in both the clinical management of pati ents clinically suspected having acute appendicitis and in reducing expendi ture of hospital resources. Among the 200 patients suspected of having acut e appendicitis, 57 actually had acute appendicitis. Interpretation of appen diceal ultrasonographic results was 98.5% accurate. The ultrasonographic re sult led to changes in the treatment of 103 patients. Moreover, ultrasonogr aphy led to the prevention of unnecessary appendectomy in 25 patients, prov iding a savings to the hospital of about Yen8,013,450 ($65,150), and preven ted unnecessary hospital admission for 78 patient-days, thus saving the hos pital approximately Yen11,199,250 ($9750). The cost of performing the 200 u ltrasonographic examinations was about Yen1,096,176 ($8912), and thus the o verall savings to the hospital was approximately Yen40,590 ($330) per patie nt. Ultrasonography per formed in patients with suspected acute appendiciti s improves patient diagnostic accuracy thus leading to more appropriate sel ection of patient treatment and reduced hospital expenditure.