Abstract

Background: CT scans are increasingly utilised in outpatient and emergency departments due to their ability to facilitate swift diagnosis and treatment planning. However, inappropriate use of CT scans, particularly CT scans of the brain, can have negative consequences. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the adherence of Basrah Teaching Hospital doctors to the international referral criteria for brain CT scans. Methods: A retrospective review of medical records was conducted to investigate the utilisation of brain CT scans in the radiology departments of Basra Teaching Hospital for two months and involved 108 referrals. The medical records were thoroughly reviewed to extract relevant information related to the indications of referral, referring doctor, referring place, brain CT results, and assessing the request form completions. The standard referral criteria were extracted from the United Kingdom and European brain CT referral guidelines. Results: Most of the referrals (75.9%) met the referral criteria, and most of the doctors, regardless of their levels, met the referral criteria; however, the highest rate was among the junior doctors (88.9%), followed by specialists and senior resident doctors. Moreover, most of the units adhered to the referral criteria, but the highest adherence rate was among those referrals from inpatient wards (91.7%). Furthermore, the majority of the doctors and most of the referring wards completed their request forms; however, the highest completion was in specialty and consultant doctors’ groups (77.8%). The results also showed that about half of positive brain CT results are due to neurological causes (46%), followed by head trauma referral (34.6%). Conclusions: The majority of the doctors at Basrah Teaching Hospital met the international standards for brain CT referrals, and most of the referral wards followed these guidelines.