title: Use of advanced imaging techniques during visits to emergency departments--implications, costs, patient benefits/risks.
abstract: 25 years ago, on a Friday evening at 9 pm, the emergency department (ED) was full of patients with a wide range of clinical problems. Their investigations included plain radiographs, but no other imaging was included until the next working day. At present, many patients are receiving advanced imaging such as ultrasound, CT and MRI, often delivered out of hours--an obvious advance for patients or sometimes an unnecessary development? In this article, we will consider how to assess patient benefits and whether increased use of advanced imaging is an overall advance for patients. We will address the general implications for healthcare services which come with greater use of advanced imaging. We will then address the effect of advanced imaging on individual fictional ED patients with a variety of complaints.
authors.affiliation: 1 St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Dick
authors.affiliation: 2 The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Varma
authors.affiliation: 1 St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Elika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kashef
authors.affiliation: 3 Aintree University Hospitals, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Curtis
mesh_terms: D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019538:Health Care Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012306:Risk; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data