Abdominal X-ray use in Mater Dei hospital, Malta

Abstract

Aim: To examine a sample of patients who underwent Plain Abdominal X-Rays (AXR) in Mater Dei Hospital (MDH) Emergency Department, Malta and assess if indications for AXR requests met current Hospital Guidelines, relevance of findings in clinical management and if further imaging was required to confirm diagnosis. ---

Method: Retrospective review of 550 plain AXR taken between January 2016 till June 2016.The data collected from the MDH PACS System included patient age, gender, AXR indication and findings, follow-up CT abdomen. Guidelines from the Royal College of Radiology were used to confirm if an AXR was indicated or not. Data was then analysed using Microsoft Excel formulas. ---

Results: Of 550 plain AXR reviewed, 62.6% were inappropriately requested with indications which did not meet the guidelines. Only 204 requests had a valid indication for plain abdominal x-ray as the initial modality of choice.