Radiological imaging of patients with suspected urinary tract stones: national trends, diagnoses, and predictors.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Overutilization of computed tomography (CT) is a growing public health concern due to increasing health care costs and exposure to radiation; these must be weighed against the potential benefits of CT for improving diagnoses and treatment plans. The objective of this study was to determine the national trends of CT and ultrasound (US) utilization for assessment of suspected urolithiasis in emergency departments (EDs) and if these trends are accompanied by changes in diagnosis rates for urolithiasis or other significant disorders and hospitalization rates.

Methods

This was a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of ED visits from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) between 1996 and 2007. The authors determined the proportion of patient vi

SUBMITTER: Westphalen AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3140067 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature