CT Offers More Accurate Diagnosis of Abdominal Pain

Of the 118, 55 had a CT exam within 24 hours of being admitted, while 63 received standard treatment. In both groups, doctors were 75% accurate in their diagnosis 24 hours after the patients were admitted. However, doctors found that some life-threatening diagnoses and complications, including a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm and visceral perforations, were missed or underestimated in the group that did not have the early CT exam. Also, of the seven patients in the study who died while in the hospital, all seven were part of the group that did not have the scan.
"The evidence suggests that patients with acute abdominal pain may benefit from an early CT scan,” said Chaan Ng, M.D., lead author of the study and assistant professor at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston (TX, USA). "However, costs and radiation exposure must be taken into consideration.” Dr. Ng presented his data at the annual meeting of the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS).




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