Pediatric emergency care
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Pediatric emergency care · Apr 2023
Recent Trend of Using Computed Tomography to Diagnose Pediatric Appendicitis at the First Hospital Visit: A Descriptive Study Using a Medical Claims Database.
We recognize that computed tomography (CT) should not be used to diagnosis pediatric appendicitis due to radiation exposure. However, few studies have recently shown a trend in its use. This study aimed to investigate the annual use of CT for the diagnosis of pediatric appendicitis at the first hospital visit. ⋯ The percentage of CT use for pediatric appendicitis at the first visit declined annually. However, CT use still tended to be higher in preschool- and adolescent-aged children, or in departments other than pediatrics. Further studies are required to clarify the clinical benefits of CT use to diagnose pediatric appendicitis.