Table 1 Description of the study variables according to the classification of the imaging test appropriateness
From: Appropriateness of radiological diagnostic tests in otolaryngology
Variables | Total n = 538 (100%) | Appropriate 226 (42.0) | Inappropriate 185 (34.4) | Not appropriately justified 64 (11.9) | Not included guidelines 63 (11.7) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hospital | 0.004 | |||||
Elche | 250 | 122 (48.8) | 69 (27.6) | 26 (10.4) | 33 (13.2) | |
Orihuela | 288 | 104 (36.1) | 116 (40.3) | 38 (13.2) | 30 (10.4) | |
Sex | 0.283 | |||||
Female | 273 | 105 (38.5) | 100 (36.6) | 37 (13.6) | 31 (11.4) | |
Male | 265 | 121 (45.7) | 85 (32.1) | 27 (10.2) | 32 (12.1) | |
Age (median, interquartile range) | 55 (38–70) | 44 (31–58) | 60 (43–71) | 52 (41–63) | < 0.001 | |
Patient setting | < 0.001 | |||||
Primary care centre | 140 | 12 (8.6) | 109 (77.9) | 15 (10.7) | 4 (2.9) | |
Hospital | 398 | 214 (53.8) | 76 (19.1) | 49 (12.3) | 59 (14.8) | |
Referrer department | < 0.001 | |||||
Otolaryngology | 185 | 120 (64.9) | 24 (13.0) | 10 (5.4) | 31 (16.8) | |
Clinical departments | 68 | 20 (29.4) | 21 (30.9) | 16 (23.5) | 11 (16.2) | |
Surgical departments | 14 | 6 (42.9) | 3 (21.4) | 3 (21.4) | 2 (14.3) | |
General practitioners | 127 | 12 (9.4) | 98 (77.2) | 15 (11.8) | 2 (1.6) | |
Emergency department | 124 | 66 (53.2) | 28 (22.6) | 17 (3.7) | 13 (10.5) | |
Paediatrics | 12 | 1 (8.3) | 9 (75.0) | 0 | 2 (16.7) | |
Diagnostic suspicion | < 0.001 | |||||
Non-tumour head and neck pathology | 40 | 7 (17.5) | 7 (17.5) | 10 (25.0) | 16 (40.0) | |
Tumour cervical | 56 | 36 (64.3) | 2 (3.6) | 10 (17.9) | 8 (14.3) | |
Benign thyroid gland | 37 | 12 (32.4) | 21 (56.8) | 1 (2.7) | 3 (8.1) | |
Tumoral thyroid gland | 6 | 6 (100) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Non-tumoral salivary gland | 3 | 1 (33.3) | 2 (66.7) | 0 | 0 | |
Tumoral salivary gland | 7 | 7 (100) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Non-tumoral nasal pathology | 295 | 97 (32.9) | 147 (49.8) | 23 (7.8) | 28 (9.5) | |
Tumoral nasal | 26 | 20 (76.9) | 2 (7.7) | 1 (3.8) | 3 (11.5) | |
Infectious pathology of the ear | 30 | 28 (93.3) | 0 | 0 | 2 (6.7) | |
Non-infectious pathology of the ear | 20 | 12 (60.0) | 4 (20.0) | 1 (5.0) | 3 (15.0) | |
Type of imaging test | < 0.001 | |||||
X-rays sinus | 234 | 63 (26.9) | 143 (60.7) | 19 (8.1) | 10 (4.3) | |
CT Cervical | 157 | 70 (44.6) | 33 (21.0) | 30 (19.1) | 24 (15.3) | |
CT Ears | 51 | 40 (78.4) | 3 (5.9) | 2 (3.9) | 6 (11.8) | |
CT sinus | 96 | 53 (55.2) | 7 (7.3) | 13 (3.5) | 23 (24.0) | |
Other radiology test performed in the previous 12 months | 0.007 | |||||
No | 491 | 210 (42.8) | 160 (32.6) | 58 (11.8) | 63 (12.8) | |
Yes | 47 | 16 (34.0) | 25 (53.2) | 6 (12.8) | 0 |