title: Routine abdominal X-rays in the emergency department: a thing of the past?
abstract: The large number of abdominal X-ray examinations done in the emergency department is striking considering the scant diagnostic yield of this imaging test in urgent disease. Most of these examinations have normal or nonspecific findings, bringing into question the appropriateness of these examinations. Abdominal X-ray examinations are usually considered a routine procedure or even a "defensive" screening tool, whose real usefulness is unknown. For more than 30 years, the scientific literature has been recommending a reduction in both the number of examinations and the number of projections obtained in each examination to reduce the dose of radiation, unnecessary inconvenience for patients, and costs. Radiologists and clinicians need to know the important limitations of abdominal X-rays in the diagnostic management of acute abdomen and restrict the use of this technique accordingly. This requires the correct clinical selection of patients that can benefit from this examination, which would allow better use of alternative techniques with better diagnostic yield, such as ultrasonography or computed tomography.
authors.affiliation: Jefe de Sección, Radiología de Urgencias, Servicio de Radiodiagnóstico, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, España. Electronic address: jmartigasm@gmail.com.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Artigas Martín
authors.affiliation: Jefa de Sección, Radiología de Urgencias, Servicio de Radiodiagnóstico, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martí de Gracia
authors.affiliation: MIR 4 del Servicio de Radiodiagnóstico, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, España.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Torres
authors.affiliation: MIR 4 del Servicio de Radiodiagnóstico, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, España.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marquina Martínez
authors.affiliation: Jefe de Sección, Servicio de Urgencias, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, España.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parrilla Herranz
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D004630:Emergencies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Abdomen; Adecuación; Appropriateness; Diagnosis; Diagnóstico; Emergencies; Indicaciones; Indications; Plain films; Radiografía; Urgencias