ACR 2016: Brain imaging use explodes in emergency rooms

The use of advanced medical imaging for brain applications in the emergency setting in the U.S. exploded from 1994 to 2012, according to a study presented this week at the American College of Radiology annual meeting (ACR 2016) in Washington, DC.

A group from Emory University in Atlanta and the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute in Reston, VA, tracked the use of CT and MRI in emergency departments based on data from the Medicare Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary Master Files.

Lead author Dr. Sumir Patel and colleagues found that brain CT use increased 12.5% per year, while brain MRI use grew 16.6% per year.

Brain imaging in the emergency department, 1994-2012
Modality No. of procedures Aggregate percent change Average annual percent change
1994 2012
Brain CT 330,296 2,757,890 735% 12.5%
Brain MRI 5,228 33,110 1,588% 16.6%
CT angiography 375 34,218 9,025% 45.1%
MR angiography 5,348 33,110 519% 18.2%

Brain CT remains by an order of magnitude the dominant imaging modality for neurology applications in the emergency setting, the researchers concluded. They noted that further research is needed to determine whether the increases are from services related to emergency-only visits, or whether they are from expedited imaging in the emergency department of admitted inpatients.

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