Is positive oral contrast material necessary for computed tomography in patients with suspected acute abdomen?
The number of computed tomography studies done in emergency departments has increased substantially, and with this increase the controversy about whether positive oral contrast agents are necessary in all patients has also grown. The great image quality provided by multidetector computed tomography...
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Published in | Radiología (English ed.) Vol. 61; no. 2; pp. 161 - 166 |
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Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Elsevier España, S.L.U
01.03.2019
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | The number of computed tomography studies done in emergency departments has increased substantially, and with this increase the controversy about whether positive oral contrast agents are necessary in all patients has also grown. The great image quality provided by multidetector computed tomography scanners, the increase in intraabdominal fat (as a natural element that provides contrast for separating the bowel loops) related with the increased prevalence of obesity in the population, and the potential drawbacks associated with the use of high-density oral contrast agents argue against the generalised us of these agents. This article aims to evaluate the effects of omitting the use of this type of oral contrast material for computed tomography examinations required in the emergency department for suspicion of acute abdominal pathology through an efficient literature search among recent publications.
En la actualidad, el número de tomografías computarizadas realizadas en el ámbito de las urgencias ha aumentado sustancialmente, y con ello la controversia sobre si realmente es útil el contraste oral positivo en todos los pacientes. La gran calidad de imagen que ofrecen los equipos de tomografía computarizada multidetector, el incremento de la grasa intraabdominal (como elemento natural de contraste para separar las asas intestinales) relacionado con el aumento de la tasa de obesidad poblacional, así como los potenciales inconvenientes que asocia el contraste oral de alta densidad son argumentos que cuestionan su uso generalizado. El propósito de este artículo es valorar el efecto de omitir el uso de este contraste oral para las TC requeridas en la urgencia por sospecha de patología abdominal aguda a partir de una búsqueda eficiente en las publicaciones recientes. |
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ISSN: | 2173-5107 2173-5107 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.rxeng.2018.10.003 |