[Unexpected emergencies and emergency findings in outpatient radiology practice]

Abstract

Clinical/methodical issue: Radiological emergencies or incidental findings that require rapid treatment are part of the daily routine of radiological units in clinics-but also in outpatient radiology. What is special about the care of these patients in the outpatient radiological area?

Standard radiological methods: An acute or incidental diagnosis of an emergency situation generally occurs with CT or MRI. Outpatient radiology serves as a gatekeeper by preselecting critical cases and then, in close cooperation with all those involved, providing optimal therapy.

Methodological innovations: Use of CT and MRI to assess the emergency situation allows optimal therapy for the patient to be initiated. In outpatient radiology, close cooperation in the team with the patient and the referring physicians means achieving an optimal result, which can be a great opportunity.

Achievements: Close personal collaboration in the team with the referring physician and the patient is a decisive strength of outpatient radiology and can guarantee optimum care for the patient, especially in the case of acute emergencies or incidental findings which turn out to be clinical-radiological emergencies. The largest challenge in outpatient radiology is to select the critical cases of the many noncritical cases in the face of growing time and cost pressure in a time-economic manner.

Practical recommendations: Outpatient radiology should be aware of the chance for close cooperation and communication with referring physician and patient, especially in emergency situations-for the well-being of the patient, but also to increase the acceptance and significance of the field of radiology.

Keywords: Computed tomography; Cooperation; Emergency radiology; Magnetic resonance imaging; Selection.