Quality improvement project aiming to reduce inappropriate use of abdominal x-rays in the ED

A quality improvement project in a District General Hospital’s emergency department aimed to reduce unnecessary abdominal X-rays (AXRs) by implementing educational and systemic interventions. Over 501 AXRs were analyzed, resulting in a significant decrease from an average of 27.5 to 17.6 AXRs per fortnight during the intervention period. Notably, while 23.8% of AXRs revealed acute findings, the majority had no significant results, yet many patients underwent further imaging. The study concluded that targeted strategies effectively minimized AXR usage without increasing CT scans.