The American College of Radiology has updated its appropriateness criteria guidance with eight new and 18 revised topics. Established in 1993, the criteria is reviewed by experts in diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology each year.
Here are three things to know about the guideline updates:
- The new topics are: assessment of cardiac function and baseline cardiac risk stratification in oncology patients, brain tumors, evaluation of coronary artery anomalies, imaging for pulmonary embolism, imaging of ductal carcinoma in situ, inflammatory ear disease, surveillance after lung cancer therapy, and staging and follow-up of anal cancer.
- The revised topics are: acute hip pain, acute respiratory illness in immunocompetent patients, acute shoulder pain, acute spinal trauma, back pain in children, cervical pain or cervical radiculopathy, chronic dyspnea of noncardiovascular origin, chylothorax treatment planning, colorectal cancer screening, dementia, fever without source or unknown origin in children, management of iliac artery occlusive disease, ovarian cancer screening, renal transplant dysfunction, supplemental breast cancer screening based on breast density, suspected and known heart failure, suspected primary bone tumors, and treatment planning and follow-up of thoracic aortic aneurysm or dissection.
- Ihab Kamel, MD, PhD, chair of the college's appropriateness criteria committee, said using the guidance enables consistent medical imaging and interventional radiology care.