Doctors in New York and around the country are increasingly discouraging the practice of taking X-rays when children have abdominal pain. Overall, the practice of medicine changes with the evolution of science and the collection of evidence that points to a particular treatment method. However, while it is highly uncommon for doctors in adult emergency medicine to give an X-ray to patients who arrive complaining of abdominal pain, they are commonly given to pediatric patients.
Doctors in New York and around the country are increasingly discouraging the practice of taking X-rays when children have abdominal pain. Overall, the practice of medicine changes with the evolution of science and the collection of evidence that points to a particular treatment method. However, while it is highly uncommon for doctors in adult emergency medicine to give an X-ray to patients who arrive complaining of abdominal pain, they are commonly given to pediatric patients.
The X-rays used for abdominal scans use as much ionizing radiation of 35 chest X-rays, a substantial amount of exposure for relatively little benefit. One study showed that 63 percent of children diagnosed with constipation at the emergency room had received an X-ray before their diagnosis. Advocates of the use of the test say that it could identify when causes of pain more serious than constipation are present. However, these types of X-rays show very low sensitivity and specificity and may actually lead doctors to confirm an incorrect diagnosis.
The concern about the harms of these X-rays is not limited to the amount of radiation exposure a child receives. Around 50 percent of all of these X-rays are read as normal, but a higher percentage of children who receive abdominal radiographs are misdiagnosed in comparison to people who do not receive them. A misdiagnosis can be a significant problem, especially when a serious disorder is missed and treatment delayed.
While medical testing may be intended to pinpoint a precise diagnosis, it is critical for physicians to use the most up-to-date standard of care to protect patients from inaccurate diagnoses and inappropriate treatment. People who have suffered a worsened medical condition as a result of a doctor’s misdiagnosis might want to meet with a medical malpractice attorney to see what recourse they might have.
