DETERMINING THE ACCURATEINTERPRETATION OF CT SCANIMAGES OF THE BRAIN WITHOUT CHILDREN INJECTION AMONG RESIDENTS OFCHILDREN AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE

Abstract

Computed Tomography (CT Scan) has become an essential instrument in medical imaging and diagnosis. Interpretation of radiologic images as well as patient history and physical examination helps the physician to make the most relevant diagnosis. Emergency Medicine (EM) and Pediatric residents are two groups of physicians that are faced with CT Scans of children during their daily practice and need to know how to use it well. In this cross sectional study accuracy of Pediatric and Emergency Medicine residents in interpretation of pediatric brain CT Scans is determined. Two groups of residents consisting of 19 volunteers in each group were participated in this study. Images of pediatric brain CT Scans were presented to each participant and he was asked to find the pathologic findings in the image. Then, overall score for each participant was recorded and statistical analysis was conducted on these scores. Emergency Medicine residents had significantly greater score in comparison with pediatric residents (P value = 0.02). Accordingly, Postgraduate Year 1(PGY1) EM residents had greater scores than pediatric PGY1 residents (P Value=0.007). In Contrast there was no significant difference between PGY 2 residents in two groups. There was no difference between residents participated in CT Scan lectures or pediatric or EM rotations and ones that did not pass these courses. According to this study, EM residents are more accurate in interpretation of pediatric brain CT Scans. In addition, neither CT Scan lectures nor rotations were as much helpful as per case CT Scan experiments in Emergency Room for progression of residents’ accuracy.