Analysis requests for sonography examination made by emergency residents in Algamhuria Modern General Hospital- Aden -Yemen

Abstract

There is an evidence that inadequate clinical information is associated with an increased level of inaccurate reports. In our practice, we have noticed that sonography requests sometimes do not contain enough information to aid to better sonography report. The aim of this study is to analyze the requests for sonography examination in the Emergency Department of Algamhuria Modern General Hospital –Aden- Republic of Yemen, and to determine if requests provide adequate information for sonographers. We have retrospectively reviewed 250 randomly selected request forms received by the ultrasound unit of Radiology Department, at the Emergency Department. The ultrasound most frequently requested by area is the abdominal and pelvic ultrasound, being 80.8% of the analyzed requests while one (0.4%) did not have the specific part of the body area to be investigated written on the request form. Four requests (1.6%) with no patient's name (s) and seven (2.8%) with no father name (s). Eighty eight requests (35.2%) did not have date of request on it. One hundred and twenty seven (50.8%) of the request form did not have the age of the patient. Patient status wasn't mentioned in almost all except 9 /250 (3.6%). Clinical and laboratory information were absent in 128(51.2%) of the requests forms. Only 10 (4%) had information of previous radiographic investigations, while 240 (96%) did not have any previous radiographic information.. Two hundred and nine (83.6%) of the request forms had the doctors names and signatures on the request. Our audit’s data analysis revealed that only two of the 250 requests reviewed were completed in full. We found that requests for sonography examination in the Emergency Department of our hospital haven't provided adequate information for sonographers.