Diagnosing Fish Bone and Chicken Bone Impactions in the Emergency Department Setting: Measuring the System Utility of the Plain Film Screen.

Objectives: In the emergency department, fish and chicken bone impactions are typically evaluated with screening x-rays. We sought to determine whether this modality ultimately improves system outcomes, including length of stay (LOS), cost, and radiation dosage.

Methods: We reviewed patients ≥ 18 years old presenting to an urban academic emergency department over a 4-year period who received a screening soft-tissue x-ray to determine the presence of a retained fish or chicken bone.