Introducing AEM-RADS: A novel reporting and data system for abdominal emergencies

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Standardized reporting systems are crucial for consistency in medical imaging interpretation.
• Existing systems like RADS are successful but lack specific application for abdominal emergencies.
• A need exists for a structured approach to reporting urgent findings on abdominal CT scans.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the Abdominal Emergency Reporting and Data System (AEM-RADS) for urgent abdominal CT findings.
• To establish a standardized reporting system for emergency radiology.
• To address the need for consistency in interpreting urgent abdominal emergencies.

Main Methods:

• A prospective observational study over six months utilized the AEM-RADS scoring system (1-5) for abdominal CT scans.
• Interobserver agreement was assessed between two radiologists with varying experience levels.
• Robust AEM-RADS reference values were established by independent radiologists.

Main Results:

• The AEM-RADS distribution across 2656 patients was: 17.50% (1), 28.57% (2), 7.22% (3), 35.61% (4), and 11.06% (5).
• High interobserver agreement was observed, particularly for urgent and emergent cases (p < 0.0001).
• Discrepancies in specific categories (2C-D, 3B-C) highlighted the influence of radiologist experience, though agreement remained statistically significant (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• AEM-RADS demonstrates promising reliability for identifying urgent and emergent abdominal CT findings.
• The system has the potential to standardize emergency workups and enhance diagnostic accuracy.
• AEM-RADS can facilitate structured shared decision-making between clinicians and radiologists.