A focused appendiceal CT technique to reduce the cost of caring for patients with clinically suspected appendicitis

This investigation analyzed the potential impact on hospitalwide variable costs and total costs of introducing a focused helical CT technique for diagnosing appendicitis.

This investigation had three components. First, we retrospectively reviewed the records of 651 patients who had admitting diagnoses of appendicitis. Second, we determined variable costs and total costs for the components of these patients' care. Third, we projected change in costs if the focused appendiceal CT technique had been used to guide patient management.

Using focused appendiceal CT in 100 patients would have decreased the number of nontherapeutic appendectomies by 13. The average length of stay for observation would have also decreased by 1 day because the diagnosis of an abnormal appendix or an alternative diagnosis would have been made more quickly. Savings in variable costs and total costs would have been $23,030 and $45,556 per 100 patients, respectively.

Routine use of focused appendiceal CT would lower the costs of caring for patients with clinically suspected appendicitis.