American Gastroenterological Association
View all recommendations from this societyReleased April 4, 2012
For a patient with functional abdominal pain syndrome (as per ROME IV criteria) computed tomography (CT) scans should not be repeated unless there is a major change in clinical findings or symptoms.
There is a small, but measurable increase in one’s cancer risk from x-ray exposure. An abdominal CT scan is one of the higher radiation exposure x-rays — equivalent to three years of natural background radiation. Due to this risk and the high costs of this procedure, CT scans should be performed only when they are likely to provide useful information that changes patient management.
These items are provided solely for informational purposes and are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a medical professional. Patients with any specific questions about the items on this list or their individual situation should consult their physician.
How The List Was Created
The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) convened a work group that included members from the Clinical Practice and Quality Management Committee (CPQMC), chair of the Practice Management and Economics Committee (PMEC), the chief medical officer for the AGA Digestive Health Outcomes Registry® and members of the AGA Institute Governing Board. Ideas for the “five things” were solicited from the workgroup for review by the CPQMC, which developed additional topics, resulting in six draft items. The workgroup continued to pare down and refine the list, before submitting a final draft to both the CPQMC and the PMEC for approval. After final refinements were made to simplify language and avoid complex clinical terminology, the final list was submitted to and approved by the AGA Institute Governing Board. AGA’s disclosure and conflict of interest policy can be found at www.gastro.org.
Sources
Drossman DA, Hasler WL. Rome IV-Functional GI Disorders: Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction. Gastroenterology. 2016 May;150(6):1257-61.
Clouse, RE et al. Functional Abdominal Pain Syndrome. Gastroenterology, 2006.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Reducing Radiation from Medical X-rays This article appears on FDA’s Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products. Date Posted: February 19, 2009. Accessed at http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm095505.htm.
Image Wisely and US Food and Drug Administration. My Medical Imaging History. Access at http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/safety/ImageWisely/7678_Medical%20Imaging%20History.pdf.
