Results of computed tomography in family practitioners' patients with non-acute abdominal pain.
OBJECTIVE
The utility of abdominal computerized tomography (CT) for evaluating abdominal pain in non-emergency, primary care outpatients is unknown. Family practice patients commonly report abdominal pain.


METHODS
We reviewed the records of health maintenance organization primary care outpatients <2 years after they had undergone CT for abdominal pain and assessed demographic variables, clinical and laboratory data, CT findings and final diagnoses.


RESULTS
We studied 137 patients: age 58.1 +/- 16.1 years (mean +/- SD), 80 (58.4%) females. Fifty (36.5%) patients had > or =1 warning clinical or laboratory feature. Positive (etiologic) and negative CT reports and unrelated and multiple CT findings occurred in 16 (11.7%), 104 (75.9%), 16 (11.7%) and 1 (0.7%) patients, respectively. Positive findings occurred in 16 (32.0%) patients with > or =1 warning feature and 1 (1.2%) patient (including the 1 patient with multiple findings) with no warning feature (P < 0.0001). One (6.3%) unrelated finding led to treatment, ovariectomy for a benign tumor. Fifty-four (39.4%) patients had a final diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
A majority of outpatients who had CT for abdominal pain received no diagnosis, and CT was rarely diagnostic for patients lacking a warning feature. Positive and unrelated CT findings were equally prevalent, and the latter were not beneficial.
Master
Sonali S
SS
Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Plan, San Diego, California 92120, USA.
Longstreth
George F
GF
Liu
Amy L
AL
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D000368:Aged; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed