Abstract
Original Research Article
Full Article (FREE DOWNLOAD)
SMJS Volume 3 Issue 1, Page 41- Page 52
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY UTILIZATION IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT OF KING FAHAD SPECIALIST HOSPITAL, BURAYDAH, QASSIM, SAUDI ARABIA
Ali M. Alhojelan, Hareth N. Alhujaili, Sarah A. Alkuraydis, Shouq Al-Rumayh, Abdulaziz A. Alharbi, Ziyad A. Aljutayli, Rawan F. AlSubaie, Loai A. Alhammad
Background: Despite the numerous benefits of computed tomography (CT), there are also some risks to the patient, including high radiation exposure that may increase the risk of tumor development, kidney function impairment, and allergic reactions associated with contrast CTs. In the United States, the use of CT in the emergency department (ED) has been increasing since 1993, with a few periods of minor reductions in its use. We aimed to determine the most commonly requested CT scans according to the type and region of the scan, identify the most common complaints associated with the requests and their relations with age, sex, time, and date, and determine the associations of CT scan types with age, sex, date, and time.
Objectives: We aimed to determine the comprehensive characteristics of CT scan requests in the ED of King Fahad Specialist Hospital (KFSH), Buraydah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia. Our specific objectives included determining (i) the most common types of CT scan requests in the ED, (ii) the most common complaints associated with these requests, (iii) the age group for the highest CT scan request rate for each anatomical region, (iv) the associations between CT scan types and sex, age, date, and time of the scan, and (v) the associations between patients' complaints and sex, age, date, and time of the scan.
Methodology: A retrospective electronic record review was conducted among the patients who underwent CT scans in the ED of King Fahad Specialist Hospital (KFSH) in Buraydah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia. The study included adult patients older than 18 years who visited the ED from January 1 to December 31, 2019, and underwent CT scans.
Results: This single-center retrospective study included 6858 patients, 42.4% of whom were women and 57.6% were men. The majority of the patients ranged between 18 and 61 years of age; 36.9% were aged 18–39 years and 34.5% were aged 40–61 years, and the mean age was 49.3±19.9 years. The anatomical region with the highest demand for CT was the head and neck region (56.8%), and brain CT was the most common type (52.7%). Significant associations were found between the type of CT scan and sex, age, time, and date. In our study, only 1628 CT requests had written complaints, of which 1254 were single complaints. The most common complaints among the patients with single complaints were loin pain and decreased levels of consciousness, constituting 9.3% each. The most common complaints among the patients with multiple complaints were dizziness/vertigo (32.1%), headache (25.9%), and vomiting (23.3%).
Conclusion: 6858 patients who underwent CT scans in the ED of KFSH were included. The region with the highest demand for CT was the head and neck; additionally, there were significant associations between the type of CT scan and sex, age, time, and date. An association between complaints, age, sex, and the date was found.
To cite this article: Salati SA, Alolayan H, Almiman W, Alqarawi L. Virtual Bedside Teaching In General Surgery Block – An Experience During The Covid-19 Pandemic At Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J Students. 2022;3(1):41-52.
