Current Status of Interpreting Routine Radiographs of Adults in the Emergency Department of University Hospital in Western Saudi Arabia

Background: The emergency department at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) was started in 1977. It’s a full capacity of 1002 beds. Emergency Radiology (ER) department plays a vital role in the health care system by providing immediate service to a wide variety of the community patients and considered a hospital access for those who are in need of emergency or urgent management. ER is a crucial to patient care and interpretation of radiographs. ER is of essential importance to the delivery of a high quality health care service. It is department to provide high quality, final readings to all ER patients and all inpatients requiring emergent/urgent radiological services 24 hours a day so, ER has supplied with X-ray, ultrasound and computed tomography. Unreported medical images have bad effect on patient and department management. So, in this study aim is to explore the current status of interpreting routine radiographs for Adults in ER at KAUH, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Materials and methods: 3,816 Conventional radiographic reports were detected retrospectively through 2016 in ER at KAUH. Radiographs of abdomen/KUB/pelvis, limbs, spine, skull and chest for adults have been studied.

Results: 100% (n=3,816/3,816) of images in ER at KAUH unreported by radiologist.

Conclusion: Despite, administration of radiology department at KAUH doing a great efforts, there were a huge number of unreported radiographs in ER

Author(s):   Awad Elkhadir, Rawaby Shaldoum and Ra’oom Yunis  

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