Final-year medical students’ perspective: a survey on the use of computed tomography in sepsis

Insights into Imaging

Table 2 Results for the categories “clinical criteria for the diagnosis of sepsis” and “the following clinical criteria are an indication for CT.” Only responses from participants who completed both required categories were counted. Data presented in absolute numbers and percentages

	Clinical criteria for the diagnosis of sepsis		Does not apply		Rather does not apply		Somewhat applies		Fully applies		I do not know		Total
	Clinical criteria for the diagnosis of sepsis		n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	n
The following clinical criteria are an indication for CT	SOFA score ≥ 2 is relevant in diagnosing sepsis	Does not apply	3	33	3	33	3	33	0	0	0	0	9
		Rather does not apply	0	0	1	33	1	33	1	33	0	0	3
		Somewhat applies	2	8	5	19	13	50	4	15	2	8	26
		Fully applies	3	5	9	14	20	31	29	45	3	5	64
		I do not know	1	25	1	25	1	25	1	25	0	0	4
	Total		9	8	19	18	38	36	35	33	5	5	106
	SIRS score ≥ 2 is considered a diagnostic criterion for sepsis	Does not apply	12	33	10	28	10	28	2	6	2	6	36
		Rather does not apply	2	11	10	53	4	21	1	5	2	11	19
		Somewhat applies	1	4	9	39	11	48	2	9	0	0	23
		Fully applies	0	0	1	9	6	55	3	27	1	9	11
		I do not know	1	10	2	20	1	10	1	10	5	50	10
	Total		16	16	32	32	32	32	9	9	10	10	99

CT Computed tomography, SOFA Systemic Organ Failure Assessment, SIRS Systemic inflammatory response syndrome
A majority of 76% (n = 49/64) students stated that a SOFA score ≥ 2 is a CT indication, i.e., (4) Fully applies and (3) Somewhat applies taken together. A third of the students (n = 34/100; (4) Fully applies and (3) Somewhat applies taken together) responding to the question considered a SIRS score ≥ 2 to be a diagnostic criterion for sepsis. Conversely, 37% (n = 37/100) of participants fully disagreed. Out of 36 students fully disagreeing with the SIRS score being a criterion for diagnosing sepsis, 6% (n = 22/36; (4) Fully applies and (3) Somewhat applies taken together) would also refuse to establish an indication for a CT scan on the basis of a SIRS score