Performance of radiologic and nuclear medicine examinations in the 6 months before death.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the rate of use and type of radiologic and nuclear medicine examinations performed prior to the death of an individual.


METHODS
Radiologic and nuclear medicine examination data from the University of New Mexico Hospital were analyzed and correlated with death records from the New Mexico Department of Vital Statistics. The study cohort included 558 patients who were treated between July 1992 and June 1993 and died within 6 months. The records for the 558 patients were analyzed according to the type and number of examinations performed within 30 days and 6 months prior to death.


RESULTS
Of 26,067 patients examined during the year, 558 (2%) underwent a radiographic or nuclear medicine examination in the 6 months prior to death. That group of patients underwent a total of 6,196 radiographic or nuclear medicine examinations (4.6%) out of a total of 134,892 examinations that were performed in that year. The rate of use was highest in those patients who were younger than 1 year at death.


CONCLUSIONS
Approximately 5% or fewer radiologic and nuclear medicine examinations were performed during the final 6 months of an illness.
Martinez-Siemel
M S
MS
Department of Radiology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque 87131-5336, USA.
Mettler
F A
FA
Sell
J J
JJ
Darling
R R
RR
Kestner
M S
MS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009516:New Mexico; D011859:Radiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors