Accuracy of radiographic readings in the emergency department.

Objectives: A review of radiology discrepancies of emergency department (ED) radiograph interpretations was undertaken to examine the types of error made by emergency physicians (EPs).

Methods: An ED quality assurance database containing all radiology discrepancies between the EP and radiology from June 1996 to May 2005 was reviewed. The discrepancies were categorized as bone, chest (CXR), and abdomen (AXR) radiographs and examined to identify abnormalities missed by EPs.