TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Section II. Abdominal Radiography A1 - Schwartz, David T. PY - 2008 T2 - Emergency Radiology: Case Studies AB - Diagnostic imaging plays a key role in the management of patients with acute abdominal pain. A precise diagnosis based on clinical findings alone is usually not possible, and diagnostic imaging should therefore be used liberally, especially if surgical treatment might be necessary. In elderly or debilitated patients, the clinical presentations of serious abdominal conditions can be muted, so a low threshold for ordering radiography and especially CT should be maintained (Esses et al. 2004). However, when a patient is unstable or an imaging study would delay emergency surgery, diagnostic imaging should be omitted. SN - PB - The McGraw-Hill Companies CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/04/23 UR - accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=121139 ER -