RT Book, Section
A1 Schwartz, David T.
SR Print(0)
ID 121139
T1 Section II. Abdominal Radiography
T2 Emergency Radiology: Case Studies
YR 2008
FD 2008
PB The McGraw-Hill Companies
PP New York, NY
SN 978-0-07-140917-9
LK accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=121139
RD 2024/04/25
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.