Are renal stone protocol computed tomography reports giving us enough information?

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Urology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Non-contrast computed tomography (CT) is the standard for diagnosing urolithiasis.
• Limited data exists on optimal CT report content for efficient patient triage and care.
• This study evaluated CT scan reporting quality at a Canadian academic medical center.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the quality and variability of CT scan reporting for urolithiasis.
• To identify essential information for improving healthcare team decision-making.
• To provide insights for standardized reporting.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 100 consecutive renal colic CT scans.
• Descriptive statistics to analyze the frequency of specific reporting elements.
• Evaluation of elements crucial for urological triage and treatment.

Main Results:

• Stone size and number were universally reported for obstructing stones but less consistently for non-obstructing stones.
• Hydronephrosis status was commonly reported (98%), but renal size (32%) and periureteral stranding (16%) were less frequent.
• Hounsfield units (3%), skin-to-stone distance, and radiation dose were rarely or never reported.

Conclusions:

• CT reports consistently included stone size, location, and number, though not uniformly.
• Key metrics like Hounsfield units, skin-to-stone distance, and radiation dose were underreported.
• Standardized reporting offers opportunities to enhance knowledge transfer, clinical efficiency, and patient care quality.