ArticleTrauma surgery & acute care open2017
CT scan incidental findings in trauma patients: does it impact hospital length of stay?
Article in Trauma surgery & acute care open, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Diagnostic utility of whole-body computed tomography/pan-scan in trauma: a systematic review and meta-analysis study.Emergency radiology · 2024Pooled it
- Automated detection of gallbladder stones using a deep learning algorithm on computed tomography scans.Abdominal radiology (New York) · 2026Article
- Classification of incidental findings in polytrauma computed tomography.Insights into imaging · 2026Article
- Rationalizing whole-body computed tomography in trauma: A national audit on resource utilization and strategies to minimize radiation exposure.World journal of radiology · 2026Article
- CT pan-scanning versus targeted imaging among older adults after ground level falls.Trauma surgery & acute care open · 2025Article
- Review
- Incidental Computed Tomography Findings Among Traumatized Adults: A One-Year Analysis at a Trauma Center.Cureus · 2024Article
- The Observation of Pediatric Skull Fractures Without an Associated Brain Injury in a Non-Trauma Center.Cureus · 2023Article
- The management of incidental meningioma: An unresolved clinical conundrum.Neuro-oncology advances · 2023Article
- Incidental Findings on Computerized Tomography Images of Trauma Cases.Archives of Iranian medicine · 2022Article
- Dental Trauma on whole Body Trauma CT-An underreported finding.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2022Article
- Article
- Incidental CT Findings in the Elderly with Low-Energy Falls: Prevalence and Implications.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Determinants of time-to-disposition in patients who underwent CT for pulmonary embolism: a retrospective study.BMC emergency medicine · 2021Observational
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCT scans are heavily relied on for assessment of solid organ injuries complementing clinical examination. These CT scans could also reveal pathologies not related to trauma called incidental findings. We aimed to evaluate the frequency of these findings and their outcome on hospital services.
methodsA retrospective chart review of prospectively collected data of the emergency department's trauma database from January 2005 to December 2011 to evaluate incidental findings on CT scans on trauma admissions. These incidental findings were divided into three classes: class 1-minor degenerative, non-degenerative, normal variants or congenital finding that does not require further investigation or workup; class 2-findings not requiring urgent intervention with scheduled outpatient follow-up and class 3-all findings that require urgent evaluation/further investigation during the same hospital admission. One-year follow-up was done to review hospital length of stay, trauma clinic follow-up and post-trauma surgery.
resultsOf 1000 charts reviewed, 957 were selected after 43 patients were excluded due to incomplete documentation. Of the 957 patients, 385 (40%) were found to have incidental findings. A total of 560 incidental findings were found on the CT scan reports with one-third of patients having multiple findings (144 patients, 37.4%). The largest number of incidental findings were in class 2. The incidental group had significantly longer length of stay after adjusted multivariate analysis (8.7±0.48 vs 6.7±0.55, p=0.005).
conclusionThe incidental findings are commonly found during CT imaging in trauma centers and our rate was 40%. Appropriate documentation, communication and follow-up of those findings is necessary. A classification system for these findings practiced nationwide will aid in categorizing the urgency of continued follow-up. This also will help decrease the length of hospital stay and healthcare cost. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4.
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