An audit of ultrasonography performed and reported by trainee radiologists

Proforma information, instructions and procedures of training in radiology are lacking in Nigeria.

To describe the errors in ultrasonography performed by unsupervised trainee radiologists.

The radiology records of all ultrasound scans (USS) carried out and all reports that came back to the unit of the authors on account of misdiagnosis, doubtful diagnosis, misinformation or error in the reports were studied. The patients with the returned reports were rescanned where available by consultants and the collected data analysed.

A total of 4680 patients had ultrasound studies without supervision resulting in 605 (12.93%) queried reports. The USS scans of 235 (5.02%) patients were repeated with consultants in attendance resulting in significant change in reports of 95 (2.03%) patients. Analysis of the request cards of 605 queried reports showed omission of relevant clinical information 463 (76.53%), outright wrong information 65 (10.73%),and unconventional abbreviations 139 (22.98%), while 493 (81.49%) were completed by a nurse, medical student or junior resident. Typographical errors comprised 174 (28.76%) of the 605 queried reports. False negative error was the highest type of error seen in 55 (57.89%) of the 95 patients with significant change in their report after repeat scan as lesions not detected were not documented.

Trainee radiologists make significant errors in carrying out and reporting ultrasonography without adequate direct supervision of the study by their training consultants. Majority of the errors originate from lack of accurate filling of the patients request cards by the requesting physicians, lack of adequate preparation for the intended study, and typographical errors in writing reports. False negative reports are by far the greatest cause of errors recorded as lesions not detected were not documented.