Publications by authors named "James C Worrall"
Objectives: Physician variation in the use of computed tomography (CT) is concerning due to the risks of ionizing radiation, cost, and downstream effects of unnecessary testing. The objectives of this study were to describe variation in CT-ordering rates among emergency physicians (EPs), to measure correlation between perceived and actual CT-ordering rates, to assess attitudes that influence decisions to order imaging tests, and to identify EP attitudes associated with higher CT utilization.
Methods: This study was a retrospective review of imaging and administrative billing records at two emergency department sites of a tertiary care adult teaching hospital.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates radiation doses from CT scans in Canadian emergency departments (ED) to address rising concerns about patient exposure.
- Researchers reviewed health records for adult patients who underwent CT scans over two months, collecting data on patient demographics and radiation doses.
- Findings showed that about 13.7% of ED patients received CT scans, with varying radiation doses for common procedures, highlighting the importance for emergency physicians to understand these doses and their variability.
Objective: The primary objective of this study was to compare the results of nurse-performed urinalysis (NPU) interpreted visually in the emergency department (ED) with laboratory performed urinalysis (LPU) interpreted by reflectance photometry.
Methods: This was a prospective observational study based on a convenience sample from my emergency practice. Emergency nurses, who were unaware of the study, performed usual dipstick analysis before sending the same urine sample to the laboratory for testing.