4956. Distractions in Body Imaging: Clarifying Enteric Tube Checks
Authors* Denotes Presenting Author
Ajmain Chowdhury;
Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa; University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Yashant Aswani *;
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Sawyer Goetz;
Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa; University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Emily Fuller;
Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa; University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Jacob Schroeder;
Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa; University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Objective:
Radiologists are frequently interrupted by phone calls in the reading room, a major distraction which can negatively impact their workflow and diagnostic accuracy. A common indication for abdominal radiographic imaging (AXR) is to confirm enteric tube position; however, if there is a discrepancy between the type of tube listed in the indication versus what is seen on AXR, then the radiologist must call the ordering physician to clarify the correct intended tube. We aimed to observe the rate of mislabeled enteric tube check orders at our institution and record the rate of these events resulting in phone calls to the ordering provider.
Materials and Methods:
With IRB approval, we retrospectively reviewed all abdominal imaging requests ordered for enteric tube position confirmation ordered between June 30, 2022, and July 31, 2022, at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. We collected rates of incorrectly labeled enteric tubes and resultant clarification phone calls.
Results:
Of the 270 AXRs ordered for enteric tube checks, 229 were ordered for nasogastric tube (NG) checks, 33 were ordered for Dobhoff tubes (DHT), and eight were ordered for other enteric tube types. Of the NG checks, 183/229 (81.6%) were correctly labeled, 21/33 DHTs (63.6%) were correctly labeled, and the eight (100%) other tube types were correctly labeled. Overall, 58/270 (21.5%) AXR orders for enteric tube placement confirmations were incorrectly labeled. Thirty-seven of these 58 (63.8%) incorrect orders resulted in phone calls being made for clarification.
Conclusion:
Mislabeled AXRs ordered to confirm enteric tube placement position is a frequent cause of phone calls made in the reading room. A separate order form to confirm enteric tube placement with clarification of tube type may be warranted in institutions with high rates of incorrect AXR orders.
