MRI Adoption in Pediatric Appendicitis: Trends and Outcomes

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40174914/ Children with appendicitis had fewer complications when they received care from hospitals that rely on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) rather than computed tomography (CT) for diagnosis, according to an AHRQ-funded study in Hospital Pediatrics. From 2010 to 2023, 155,884 children presented to 46 pediatric emergency departments with appendicitis. For the 19,232 children (12 percent) who visited an MRI-adopting hospital, appendiceal perforation, abscess drainage, and intensive care unit admissions occurred less frequently. Researchers also found that across all 46 emergency departments, CT use declined from 51.5 to 24.9 percent of cases, while MRI use rose from 2 to 8 percent. Pediatric appendicitis diagnosis protocols have shifted to MRI to avoid exposing patients to CT radiation, and these findings support broader adoption of MRI for pediatric appendicitis to improve outcomes and more efficiently use diagnostic resources.