Representation and Utilization of Laboratory Data in CT-Based Acute Abdominal Emergency Radiology: A Methodological...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Informatics
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Acute abdominal emergencies pose significant diagnostic challenges in emergency medicine.
• Effective diagnosis relies on integrating clinical, laboratory, and imaging data.
• The systematic representation and integration of laboratory data in radiology research are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the representation, contextualization, and functional use of laboratory data in radiology publications.
• Focus on computed tomography (CT)-based evaluations of acute abdominal emergencies.
• Evaluate the integration of laboratory results within imaging-centered diagnostic narratives.

Main Methods:

• Methodological content analysis of 72 radiology research articles (2020-2024).
• Studies focused on CT imaging for acute abdominal emergencies.
• Analysis of laboratory data presence, types, contextual role, and integration with imaging.

Main Results:

• Laboratory data were reported in 61.1% of studies.
• Most frequent use was as background information.
• Explicit integration as imaging triggers, diagnostic modifiers, or decision-oriented reporting was less common.

Conclusions:

• Laboratory data are commonly reported in CT radiology for acute abdominal emergencies.
• The integration of laboratory data with imaging findings varies significantly across publications.
• Some studies show integrated discussion, while others report imaging findings independently.