Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27271919›Full record

ArticleEuropean radiology2017

Systematic unenhanced CT for acute abdominal symptoms in the elderly patients improves both emergency department diagnosis and prompt clinical management.

Ingrid Millet, Mustapha Sebbane, Nicolas Molinari, Emma Pages-Bouic, Fernanda Curros-Doyon, Bruno Riou, Patrice Taourel

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in European radiology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
25citing papers in PubMed
5.1field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

25 citing papers in PubMed, 63 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Clinical Features, CT Imaging Decisions and Yield by Age in Adults With Abdominal Pain in the Emergency Department.Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine · 2026
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  5. CT of acute abdomen in the elderly.Insights into imaging · 2025
    Article
  6. Trends in visits, imaging, and diagnosis for emergency department abdominal pain presentations in the United States, 2007-2019.Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Ingrid MilletDepartment of Medical Imaging, CHU Lapeyronie, 371 avenue Gaston Giraud, 34295, Montpellier Cedex 5, France. i-millet@chu-montpellier.fr.
Mustapha SebbaneDepartment of Emergency Medicine, CHU Lapeyronie, Montpellier, France.
Nicolas MolinariDepartment of Medical Information and Statistics, UMR 729 MISTEA, CHU Montpellier, France.
Emma Pages-BouicDepartment of Medical Imaging, CHU Lapeyronie, 371 avenue Gaston Giraud, 34295, Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
Fernanda Curros-DoyonDepartment of Medical Imaging, CHU Lapeyronie, 371 avenue Gaston Giraud, 34295, Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
Bruno RiouDepartment of Emergency Medicine and Surgery, GH Pitié-Salpêtrière, APHP, Paris, France.
Patrice TaourelDepartment of Medical Imaging, CHU Lapeyronie, 371 avenue Gaston Giraud, 34295, Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
Hôpital Lapeyronie · FRAssistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris · FRMathématiques, Informatique et Statistique pour l'Environnement et l'Agronomie · FR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo assess the added-value of systematic unenhanced abdominal computed tomography (CT) on emergency department (ED) diagnosis and management accuracy compared to current practice, in elderly patients with non-traumatic acute abdominal symptoms.

methodsInstitutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained. This prospective study included 401 consecutive patients 75 years of age or older, admitted to the ED with acute abdominal symptoms, and investigated by early systematic unenhanced abdominal CT scan. ED diagnosis and intended management before CT, after unenhanced CT, and after contrast CT if requested, were recorded. Diagnosis and management accuracies were evaluated and compared before CT (clinical strategy) and for two conditional strategies (current practice and systematic unenhanced CT). An expert clinical panel assigned a final diagnosis and management after a 3-month follow-up.

resultsSystematic unenhanced CT significantly improved the accurate diagnosis (76.8% to 85%, p=1.1x10

conclusionsSystematic unenhanced abdominal CT improves ED diagnosis accuracy and appropriate management in elderly patients presenting with acute abdominal symptoms compared to current practice. KEY POINTS: • Systematic unenhanced CT improves significantly diagnosis accuracy compared to current practice. • Systematic unenhanced CT optimizes appropriate hospitalization by increasing the number of discharged patients. • Systematic unenhanced CT allows detection of about one-third of acute unsuspected abdominal conditions. • It should allow boosting emergency department management decision-making confidence in old patients.

Indexed as

Abdominal PainAcute DiseaseAgedAged, 80 and overAortic DiseasesAppendicitisBiliary Tract DiseasesClinical Decision-MakingColitisContrast MediaDigestive System DiseasesDiverticulitisEmergency Service, HospitalFecal ImpactionFemaleHumansContrast MediaAbdominal painCTDiagnostic imagingElderlyEmergency medicine

Identifiers

PMID27271919
OpenAlexW2417156170

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.