Continued Overreliance on CT Instead of Ultrasound for Renal Colic

Although ultrasound is underused for all patients with renal colic, women are more likely to receive an ultrasound than men.

Given the risks of radiation exposure from computed tomography (CT) imaging, ultrasound is the recommended imaging modality for patients with suspected renal colic if they need imaging (NEJM JW Emerg Med Oct 2014 and N Engl J Med 2014; 371:1100). However, whether these recommendations are followed is unclear, as is whether any sex-specific differences exist in imaging practices. These researchers retrospectively evaluated all patients diagnosed with renal colic during 2014 in the four Calgary, Canada, emergency departments (EDs), stratifying outcomes by sex. The primary outcome was return visit to the ED in 7 days; other outcomes were imaging use, analgesic administration, hospitalization within 7 days, and intervention within 60 days.

The s…

Reviewing Author

Ali S. Raja, MD, MBA, MPH, FACEP

Disclosures

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Academic Emergency Medicine (Board Member); American College of Healthcare Executives – Massachusetts (Board Member)

Ali S. Raja, MD, MBA, MPH, FACEP

Disclosures

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Academic Emergency Medicine (Board Member); American College of Healthcare Executives – Massachusetts (Board Member)

Continued Overreliance on CT Instead of Ultrasound for Renal Colic

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Reviewing Author