title: A tertiary hospital audit of the use of medical imaging in the 24 h preceding death.
abstract: This study aims to investigate the number, modality and indication for imaging studies performed on acute hospital inpatients in the 24 h prior to death. Data were obtained from retrospective analysis of deceased patients from a university affiliated tertiary hospital over a 2-year period and it was found that around one in five inpatients received medical imaging in the last 24 h of their life (364 of 1855, 19.6%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Alfred Hospital, Bulleen, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Palliative Care, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weil
authors.affiliation: Palliative Care, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boughey
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sutherland
mesh_terms: D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000401:mortality* / Q000639:trends*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000639:trends*; D008485:Medical Audit / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers / Q000639:trends*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: advance care planning; computed tomography; interventional radiology; magnetic resonance imaging; medical imaging; morbidity; mortality; nuclear medicine; palliation medicine; radiology; ultrasound