Reviewed and approved by the AAEM Board of Directors. (6/7/2019)
Introduction
Patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with abdominal pain and concern for appendicitis typically require diagnostic imaging to confirm the diagnosis. Computer tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound (US) are the imaging modalities that can be used to diagnosis appendicitis. For non-pregnant adult appendicitis, CT of the abdomen and pelvis is commonly utilized and is supported by 2018 American Academy of Radiology appropriateness criteria for right lower quadrant pain.1