ReviewThe British journal of radiology2018
Overuse of CT and MRI in paediatric emergency departments.
Review in The British journal of radiology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
Who cites it
44 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 98 citations in OpenAlex.
- Overuse of computed tomography for mild head injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2024Pooled it
- Full-body MR imaging: a retrospective study on a novel diagnostic approach for children sustaining high-energy trauma.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2022Trial
- Imaging appropriateness in pediatric emergency department using the American College of Radiology criteria: an observational study.Emergency radiology · 2026Observational
- Comparison of radiographic parameters between sciatic scoliosis and Lenke 5/6 type idiopathic scoliosis in young patients: a LASSO and nomogram analysis.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2026Article
- Cumulative dose in pediatric CT "frequent flyers": cohort results and risk review.Pediatric radiology · 2026Article
- Reasons for performing abdominal computed tomography in pediatric emergency departments providing trauma care: a single-center experience.Pediatric surgery international · 2026Article
- Abnormalities on Spinal Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Children and Adolescents: A Two-Center Retrospective Cohort Study.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Abdominal computed tomography use in the emergency department among children with abdominal pain: a retrospective analysis.International journal of emergency medicine · 2025Article
- Cancer Risk Associated With Radiological Examinations: 2025 Updates.Korean journal of radiology · 2025Article
- Overuse of head CT scans in non-traumatic paediatric cases in the West Bank, Palestine: a cross-sectional study.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Article
- Results of an adapted whole-body MRI in the primary care of children and adolescents in the trauma room.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2025Article
- Frequency of Abnormal CT Scans and the Correlation with Patients Complaints in Emergency Department.Iranian journal of child neurology · 2025Article
- Current status and solutions for the overuse of emergency CT in pediatric patients with abdominal pain.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2025Review
- Radiation exposure in recurrent medical imaging: identifying drivers and high-risk populations.Frontiers in public health · 2025Review
- Investigating the Potential Overuse of Pan-Computed Tomography (PanCT) Examinations in Trauma Cases in Emergency Departments.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2024Article
- The hidden value of MRI: modifying treatment decisions in C-spine injuries.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2024Article
- Variations in the cystic duct: frequency and the relationship among insertion sides and heights on the bile duct.Surgical and radiologic anatomy : SRA · 2024Article
- Evaluation of Difference in Emergency Care Quality by Years of Physician Experience at the Emergency Department.Juntendo Iji zasshi = Juntendo medical journal · 2024Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The aim of this review is to survey CT and MRI overuse in the paediatric emergency department (ED) population. CT is one of the most important modalities employed in the ED. Not surprisingly, its high accuracy, rapid acquisition and availability have resulted in overuse. An obvious limitation of CT is ionizing radiation; in addition there are economic implications to overuse. Studies from the last two decades have shown increase in paediatric ED CT utilization in the first decade, reaching a plateau forming around 2008, followed by a decrease in the last decade. This decrease occurred in conjunction with campaigns raising awareness to the risks of radiation exposure. Although a trend of decrease in overuse have been observed, great variability has been shown across different facilities, as well as among physicians, with more pronounced overuse in non-teaching and non-children dedicated EDs. The leading types of paediatric ED CTs are head and abdominal scans. Decision rules, such as PECARN for head injury and the Alvarado score for abdominal pain, as well as using alternative imaging modalities, have been shown to reduce CT overuse in these two categories. MRI has the obvious benefit of avoiding radiation exposure, but the disadvantages of higher costs, less availability and less tolerability in younger children. Although anecdotally paediatric ED MRI usage has increased in recent years, only scarce reports have been published. In our opinion, there is need to conduct up-to-date studies covering paediatric CT and MRI overuse trends, usage variability and adherence to clinical protocols.
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Registered trials
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.