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Abdominal Assessment Scale Can Predict Disease Severity in Infants With NEC RESTON, Va -- October 20, 2009 -- Radiologists have developed a scale called the Duke Abdominal Assessment Scale (DAAS) to assist clinicians in determining the severity of disease and the need for surgery in infants with necrotising enterocolitis (NEC). The research is published in the November issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. “The DAAS provides a standardised 10-point radiographic scale that increases with disease severity,” said lead author Caroline L. Hollingsworth, MD, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina. “For every 1-point increase in the DAAS score, patients are more likely to have severe disease and more likely to need a surgical intervention,” she said. Researchers performed a case-control study of 43 infants to assess whether the DAAS could serve as a clinically useful tool for predicting disease severity in neonates and infants with clinically suspected NEC. “We found that the use of a standardised scale like the DAAS may enable earlier detection of patients at risk for developing severe NEC by creating a clear, concise radiology report that provides the clinician with a consistent measure of concern by the radiologist,” said Dr. Hollingsworth. “We also found that improved communication through standardised reporting using an accurate scale like the DAAS may affect medical decision making in a positive way and hasten the accurate identification of patients in need of intense medical surveillance or surgical intervention.” “Our study suggests that using the DAAS score when interpreting abdominal x-rays in neonates and infants with clinically suspected NEC may help guide increased level of clinical concern and monitoring for advanced NEC,” she added. “Radiographic monitoring of disease progression and heightened clinical awareness through improved communication via the DAAS system has been a tremendous help to our clinicians at Duke.” SOURCE: American Roentgen Ray Society E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version