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Published in: Insights into Imaging 1/2021

Open Access 01-12-2021 | Computed Tomography | Original Article

Impact of diagnostic errors on adverse outcomes: learning from emergency department revisits with repeat CT or MRI

Authors: Yura Ahn, Gil-Sun Hong, Kye Jin Park, Choong Wook Lee, Ju Hee Lee, Seon-Ok Kim

Published in: Insights into Imaging | Issue 1/2021

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Abstract

Background

To investigate diagnostic errors and their association with adverse outcomes (AOs) during patient revisits with repeat imaging (RVRIs) in the emergency department (ED).

Results

Diagnostic errors stemming from index imaging studies and AOs within 30 days in 1054 RVRIs (≤ 7 days) from 2005 to 2015 were retrospectively analyzed according to revisit timing (early [≤ 72 h] or late [> 72 h to 7 days] RVRIs). Risk factors for AOs were assessed using multivariable logistic analysis. The AO rate in the diagnostic error group was significantly higher than that in the non-error group (33.3% [77 of 231] vs. 14.8% [122 of 823], p < .001). The AO rate was the highest in early revisits within 72 h if diagnostic errors occurred (36.2%, 54 of 149). The most common diseases associated with diagnostic errors were digestive diseases in the radiologic misdiagnosis category (47.5%, 28 of 59) and neurologic diseases in the delayed radiology reporting time (46.8%, 29 of 62) and clinician error (27.3%, 30 of 110) categories. In the matched set of the AO and non-AO groups, multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that the following diagnostic errors contributed to AO occurrence: radiologic error (odds ratio [OR] 3.56; p < .001) in total RVRIs, radiologic error (OR 3.70; p = .001) and clinician error (OR 4.82; p = .03) in early RVRIs, and radiologic error (OR 3.36; p = .02) in late RVRIs.

Conclusion

Diagnostic errors in index imaging studies are strongly associated with high AO rates in RVRIs in the ED.
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Metadata
Title
Impact of diagnostic errors on adverse outcomes: learning from emergency department revisits with repeat CT or MRI
Authors
Yura Ahn
Gil-Sun Hong
Kye Jin Park
Choong Wook Lee
Ju Hee Lee
Seon-Ok Kim
Publication date
01-12-2021
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Published in
Insights into Imaging / Issue 1/2021
Electronic ISSN: 1869-4101
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13244-021-01108-0

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