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Early diagnostic computed tomography (CT) in patients with acute abdominal pain increases detection of serious diagnoses but is time-consuming and costly and can increase risk for future cancers from radiation exposure (JW Emerg Med Apr 24 2009). To identify an optimal imaging strategy, researchers prospectively collected data for 1021 hemodynamically stable, nonpregnant adult patients (mean age, 47; 55% female) with nontraumatic acute abdominal pain (duration, 2 hours to 5 days) who presented to six emergency departments in the Netherlands. All patients were evaluated by a radiologist with a structured imaging protocol consisting of plain x-rays (upright chest and supine abdomen), ultrasonography, and CT.
At 6 months, an expert physician pa…