Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 19, 2026
Optimized Management of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke
Published on: January 18, 2018
Trends of CT utilisation in an emergency department in Taiwan: a 5-year retrospective study
Sung-Yuan Hu1, Ming-Shun Hsieh2, Meng-Yu Lin3
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan Department of Medical Research, Center for Translational Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan Department of Nursing, College of Health, National Taichung University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan Department of Nursing, College of Nursing, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan.
Objectives:
To investigate the association between the trends of CT utilisation in an emergency department (ED) and changes in clinical imaging practice and patients' disposition.
Setting:
A hospital-based retrospective observational study of a public 1520-bed referral medical centre in Taiwan.
Participants:
Adult ED visits (aged ≥18 years) during 2009-2013, with or without receiving CT, were enrolled as the study participants.
Main Outcome Measures:
For all enrolled ED visits, we retrospectively analysed: (1) demographic characteristics, (2) triage categories, (3) whether CT was performed and the type of CT scan, (4) further ED disposition, (5) ED cost and (6) ED length of stay.
Results:
In all, 269 239 adult ED visits (148 613 male patients and 120 626 female patients) were collected during the 5-year study period, comprising 38 609 CT scans. CT utilisation increased from 11.10% in 2009 to 17.70% in 2013 (trend test, p<0.001). Four in 5 types of CT scan (head, chest, abdomen and miscellaneous) were increasingly utilised during the study period. Also, CT was increasingly ordered annually in all age groups. Although ED CT utilisation rates increased markedly, the annual ED visits did not actually increase. Moreover, the subsequent admission rate, after receiving ED CT, declined (59.9% in 2009 to 48.2% in 2013).
Conclusions:
ED CT utilisation rates increased significantly during 2009-2013. Emergency physicians may be using CT for non-emergent studies in the ED. Further investigation is needed to determine whether increasing CT utilisation is efficient and cost-effective.
More Related Videos
09:52Setting Up a Stroke Team Algorithm and Conducting Simulation-based Training in the Emergency Department - A Practical Guide
Published on: January 15, 2017
06:16Signal Acquisition, Score Interpretation, and Economics of a Non-Invasive Point-of-Care Test for Coronary Artery Disease
Published on: August 9, 2024
Related Concept Videos
01:10Computed Tomography
The technique was invented in the 1970s and is based on the principle that as X-rays pass through the body, they are absorbed or reflected at different levels. In the technique, a patient lies on a motorized platform while a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner rotates...
01:28Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT
01:27Imaging Studies III: Computed Tomography
01:29Issues And Trends In Healthcare Delivery System
Cost Containment
Payment for healthcare services has historically promoted adoption of costly and often unnecessary or inefficient...
01:14Imaging Studies I: CT and MRI
Description of the Procedures
Computed Tomography (CT) scan:
Computed Tomography (CT) scans use X-ray technology to generate detailed images of bones, organs, and tissues. During the scan, the patient lies on a moving table...
01:30Radiological Investigation I: X-ray and CT