Failure to Significantly Reduce Radiation Exposure in Children with Suspected Appendicitis in the United States

Ultrasound (US) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recommended over computed tomography (CT) as the initial imaging modality when considering a diagnosis of appendicitis in children. This reduces unnecessary radiation exposure and has excellent accuracy. We hypothesized a significant increase in US utilization and a reduction in CT utilization in hospitals across the United States.