Ottawa Ankle Rules Compliance in Emergency Department X-ray Requests
Background
Why this project was needed
The Ottawa Ankle Rules are a validated clinical decision tool used to determine the need for radiography following ankle injury, and have been shown to reduce unnecessary X-ray requests without missing significant fractures. Despite their wide adoption nationally, compliance in busy Emergency Departments can be variable. A review of ankle and midfoot X-ray requesting behaviour at GSTT was undertaken to assess adherence to this evidence-based guideline.
Aims
What the project set out to achieve
To assess the degree of compliance with the Ottawa Ankle Rules when requesting ankle and foot X-rays in the Emergency Department at GSTT.
Objectives
Specific measurable steps
- Identify a consecutive cohort of patients who received ankle or midfoot X-rays following acute injury.
- Assess whether documented clinical findings met Ottawa Ankle Rule criteria for imaging.
- Calculate the proportion of requests consistent with guideline recommendations.
- Present findings to the Emergency Department and orthopaedic team to inform future practice.
Discussion
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