Radiological findings on computed tomography examinations of adult patients in the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital.

Abstract

Objective: To identify and analyze the main findings on computed tomography (CT) scans ordered in the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital.

Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted through analysis of CT scans of the head, chest, and abdomen of all patients admitted to the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital over a period of four months.

Results: Among a sample of 331 patients, pathological radiological findings were observed in 59.2%, with the highest number of alterations being observed on abdominal CT, followed by chest CT. The most prevalent findings were as follows: in the abdomen-obstructive uropathy (in 12.2%), pyelonephritis (in 6.4%), cholecystitis (in 5.8%), and enterocolitis (in 5.8%); in the chest-pneumonia (in 23.7%), pleural effusion (in 12.9%), and pulmonary contusion (in 5.4%); and in the head-extracranial soft tissue edema (in 11.9%), stroke (in 10.7%), and brain contusion (in 7.9%).

Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate the importance of using CT for proper diagnosis and clinical management in emergency departments. Our data also contribute to establishing the most prevalent radiological findings in each anatomical region, thus promoting rapid, efficient clinical practice in emergency settings.