Document Type : Original Article (s)
Authors
1
Department of Radiology, Student Research Committee, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Physics and Radiology, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
3
Assistant Professor, Ayatollah Kashani Hospital AND Department of Clinical Radiology, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
4
Assistant Professor, Ayatollah Kashani Hospital AND Department of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, School of Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
5
Associate Professor, Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Nuclear Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
6
Department of Diagnosis Radiology, Ayatollah Kashani Hospital, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
Abstract
Background: Sonography imaging in emergent situations is of easy-access with an ever-increasing demand. The aim of the current study was to determine the justification of sonography in emergent patients at a tertiary provincial referent medical center in a one-year period.Methods: In a retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study, 400 emergent patients underwent sonography imaging during the year 2017 were selected using systematic random sampling method. The data of age, gender, anatomic area, sonography number, Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) sonography, and diagnosis were extracted from patient profiles, and were entered in a researcher-made checklist. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and chi-square test.Findings: Men patients represented 60.0% of the requested sonography cases, and 40.0% of the exams were performed in the patient at the age range of 20 to 40 years old. 73.0% of patients underwent FAST sonography, required subsequent diagnostic sonography investigation, while FAST sonography led only to a diagnosis in 45.0% of the patients. 63.5% of the patients underwent more than one repeated sonography investigations.Conclusion: Diagnostic efficiency of FAST sonography was found to be underpowered in the current study. This caused wasting the resources, as well inflicting diagnostic retard in the emergent and urgent setting. The training of FAST sonography needs to be reviewed and revised, regarding its rationality and appropriate implementation.
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