Feasibility and profitability of a radiology department providing trauma US as part of a trauma alert team.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and profitability of a radiology department providing a six-point trauma ultrasound (US) examination for abdominal or pelvic free fluid as part of a trauma alert team.


METHODS
The study included 191 trauma alerts, which generated 156 US examinations. A radiologist and a departmental technologist carried beepers and responded to level I and II traumas. A departmental secretary or technologist recorded when the responding technologist exited and re-entered the department and if US was performed. If performed, the US examination evaluated the four abdominal and pelvic quadrants and the suprapubic and subxiphoid regions. For 64 patients, the responding technologist recorded the times of the trauma alert, emergency room arrival, US start and finish, and return to the radiology department.


RESULTS
Median response, wait, scan duration, and return times were 2, 8, 5, and 7 minutes, respectively. Median costs for the technician, physician, archiving, transcription, and equipment were $8.17, $30.85, $0.97, $4.80, and $41.22, respectively. Reimbursement per examination averaged $110.60. Sensitivity analyses that varied the time spent (median vs mean), US non-use rate (10%-18%), and years of depreciation (5-7 years) yielded net results ranging from a $36.60 profit to a $6.12 loss per examination.


CONCLUSIONS
A radiology department can profitably respond to trauma alerts and provide a six-point trauma US examination for free fluid.
Nunes
L W
LW
Department of Radiologic Sciences, Hahnemann University Hospital, MCP Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA.
Simmons
S
S
Kozar
R
R
Kinback
R
R
Hallowell
M J
MJ
Mulhern
C
C
D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital / Q000191:economics*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000191:economics*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*