New York—Physicians can safely reduce the use of computed tomography (CT) scans in children who have a suspected appendicitis by performing an ultrasound first, according to preliminary results of a retrospective study presented at Touro College Research Day.

Organized by the Touro Research Collaborative, Touro College Research Day was held on Tuesday, May 3, at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Touro College of Pharmacy campus at 230 West 125th Street in Harlem.

“CT scans are routinely used to diagnosis acute appendicitis, but also involve radiation exposure, which is a concern when treating children,” says Suhal Shah, a third-year resident at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. Shah collaborated with project leader Victor Todisco, MD, a pediatric radiologist at Orange Regional Medical Center. The American College of Radiology and the American College of Surgeons recommend using ultrasound first to reduce radiation exposure, but the appendix is difficult to find using this method. This study compared testing trends and outcomes of pediatric patients who came to the Orange Regional Medical Center with suspected appendicitis during two periods of time, 2011–2012 and 2014–2015.

Researchers found that rates of using CT scans first dropped from 12.8 to 7.5 percent between the two time periods. “These results show that our hospital is doing better at following the recommendations by using ultrasound first, and then if indicated, moving on to CT,” says Shah. “That shows that we are limiting radiation exposure in children.”