Second physician review of radiographs after wrist and ankle reductions offers limited utility to clinical management. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical utility of second-physician review of radiographs obtained after reduction of distal radius and ankle fractures. METHODS: Fifty consecutive ankle and distal radius fractures requiring reduction were reviewed. The time from post-reduction radiograph to second-physician interpretation was obtained. The second-physicians' interpretation was evaluated for clinically influential information. Patients requiring a repeat reduction were identified, and the timing of the repeat reduction radiograph was compared with the timing of the second-physician interpretation of the initial post-reduction radiograph. RESULTS: The mean time of second-physician interpretation for post reduction ankle radiographs was 6 h and 47 min (range 4 min to 43 h and 3 min). Eleven of 50 (22%) interpretations of post reduction ankle radiographs commented on acceptability of reduction. The mean time of second-physician interpretation for post reduction distal radius radiographs was 5 h and 34 min (range 8 min to 22 h and 59 min). Seven of 50 (14%) interpretations of post reduction distal radius radiographs commented on acceptability of reduction. Three distal radius (6%) and 8 ankle fractures (16%) required repeat reduction. Repeat reductions were completed in 10/11 cases (91%) before the second-physician review of the initial post reduction radiograph was obtained. In only 1 case of repeat reduction was the second-physician review of the post reduction radiograph available before repeat reduction was attempted. CONCLUSION: The timing and quality of second-physician review of post-reduction radiographs offers little utility to the clinical management of ankle and distal radius fractures.

publication date

  • December 13, 2019

Research

keywords

  • Ankle Injuries
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care
  • Radius Fractures
  • Referral and Consultation

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 85076279595

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1007/s10140-019-01746-4

PubMed ID

  • 31834532

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 27

issue

  • 2