Abdominal CT scanning is effective for the time-sensitive diagnosis of IBD complications such as obstruction, perforation, or non-IBD related causes of abdominal pain when these are suspected. The effective ionizing radiation dose from a single conventional abdominal CT scan (10-20mSv) is within acceptable safety limits (<50mSv). However, minimizing inappropriate utilization of CT is a priority because repeated exposure to ionizing radiation over a lifetime, particularly among younger IBD patients, may potentially increase the risk of malignancy. In the acute setting (e.g., emergency department), abdominal CT scan should only be used when there is suspicion of a complication of IBD and should not be used for the assessment of disease activity.
Conditions: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), obstruction, perforation, abscess
Diagnostic Tests: Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan
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