Reducing Postoperative CT Imaging for Children With Complicated Appendicitis: A Pediatric Surgical Quality Collaborative Quality Improvement Project.

Background: Despite widespread initiatives to reduce ionizing radiation for appendicitis diagnosis, computed tomography (CT) scanning postoperatively remains common. The Pediatric Surgery Quality Collaborative (PSQC) aimed to identify differences between children's hospitals with high and low postoperative CT usage for complicated appendicitis.

Methods: Using National Surgery Quality Improvement Program Pediatric data from PSQC children's hospitals, we compared postoperative CT imaging for complicated appendicitis (April 2020-March 2021).