Evaluation of Acute Abdominal Pain in the Emergency Setting Using Computed Tomography Without Oral Contrast in Patients With Body Mass Index Greater Than 25.

Purpose: To evaluate the rate of delayed or missed diagnoses and need for additional computed tomography (CT) imaging in emergency department patients with abdominal pain who are imaged without oral contrast.

Materials And Methods: The institutional review board approved this Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant retrospective study; informed consent was waived. All consecutive adult patients with body mass index greater than 25 undergoing a CT abdomen/pelvis with intravenous contrast and without oral contrast with nontraumatic acute abdominal pain during a 16-month period at our academic tertiary care center were included.