ACS-verified trauma centers are twice as likely to use whole-body CT.

When people hurt themselves in car crashes, doctors often use whole-body CT scans to search for hidden damage. A CT scan uses X-rays to take detailed pictures inside the body. A full-body scan checks the head, chest, and abdomen. But for stable patients who have normal blood pressure and full awareness, doctors do not always know if scanning everything helps. Researchers checked hospital records to see how often doctors scan stable crash victims. They also looked at whether hospital credentials changed these choices. They found that most stable patients did not get full-body scans. Instead, they got scans aimed at fewer body parts. Full-body scan use dropped over time across hospitals, regardless of trauma levels or how badly patients were hurt. However, hospitals verified by a major surgical group were nearly twice as likely to use full-body scans, while non-profit or government hospitals used them less often.

Why it matters

The decision to scan a stable car crash victim from head to toe depends more on which hospital they enter than on how badly they are hurt. Patients at ACS-verified centers are nearly twice as likely to receive a whole-body CT, even after accounting for injury severity. This matters because whole-body CT delivers a large radiation dose, and unwarranted variation suggests some scans may be unnecessary.

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