Relevance and Utility of Medical Imaging in the Management of Acute Abdomen at Yaoundé Central Hospital
Imagerie des abdomens aigus à Yaoundé
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67260/hra.v4i7.7884Keywords:
appropriateness; utility; justification; medical imaging; acute abdomen; Cameroon.Abstract
Introduction. The use of medical imaging has become essential for optimizing the diagnostic and therapeutic management of acute abdomen. This study aimed to assess the appropriateness and clinical utility of medical imaging requests for non-traumatic acute abdomen at Yaoundé Central Hospital. Materials and Methods. We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study from February to April 2020 in the surgical emergency unit of Yaoundé Central Hospital, including all patients admitted with suspected non-traumatic acute abdomen. The primary outcomes were request appropriateness, assessed according to the Guide du Bon Usage of the French Society of Radiology, and clinical utility, determined through an audit performed by a radiologist and a general surgeon. Secondary analyses examined associations between appropriateness and organizational factors, patients’ monthly income, and the grade of the referring physician using Chi-square tests and logistic regression. Results. A total of 52 patients were included, with a mean age of 34.3 ± 17.9 years; 61.5% were male. Overall, 65 imaging requests and 60 performed examinations were analyzed. Plain abdominal radiography was the most frequently requested examination (69.2%), followed by abdominal ultrasonography (38.5%), chest radiography (9.6%), and abdominal computed tomography (CT) (7.7%). None of the plain abdominal radiographs or chest radiographs was appropriate. All CT requests (100%) and 70% of ultrasound requests were appropriate. All appropriate CT and ultrasound examinations that were performed demonstrated clinical utility. No significant association was found between appropriateness and organizational factors (p = 0.4), patient income (p = 0.3), or physician grade (p = 0.6). Conclusion. Although largely obsolete, plain abdominal radiography remains the first-line imaging examination requested by residents and interns for acute abdomen at Yaoundé Central Hospital. Few imaging requests were appropriate, and most provided limited clinical utility. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted educational interventions to improve imaging referral practices and optimize patient management.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Biwolé Biwolé Daniel Claude Patrick, Nwatsock Francis, Angue Fouda Mirande, Mengue Abena Brenda Laure, Abo’o Melom Adèle Tatiana, Tim Fabrice Tientcheu, Mbede Maggy, Nono Jean Jacques, Ngono Etoundi Sylviane, Ongolo Zogo Pierre
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