American College of Radiology Releases New and Updated Appropriateness Criteria

The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) released an update to its ACR Appropriateness Criteria® (ACR AC), which includes 247 diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology topics with more than 1,200 clinical variants covering 4,000 clinical scenarios. The update includes eight new and 18 revised topics. All topics include a narrative, evidence table and a literature search summary.

“Using ACR Appropriateness Criteria for guidance can enable consistent medical imaging and interventional radiology care for all patients,” said Ihab Kamel, MD, PhD, chair of the ACR Committee on Appropriateness Criteria. “These important updates can help referring physicians and other providers enhance the quality of care they provide.”

New Topics:

1. Assessment of Cardiac Function and Baseline Cardiac Risk Stratification in Oncology Patients 
2. Brain Tumors 
3. Evaluation of Coronary Artery Anomalies 
4. Imaging for Pulmonary Embolism, Known Clot 
5. Imaging of Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) 
6. Inflammatory Ear Disease 
7. Lung Cancer: Surveillance After Therapy 
8. Staging and Follow-up of Anal Cancer 

Revised Topics:

1. Acute Hip Pain  
2. Acute Respiratory Illness in Immunocompetent Patients  
3. Acute Shoulder Pain  
4. Acute Spinal Trauma  
5. Back Pain-Child  
6. Cervical Pain or Cervical Radiculopathy  
7. Chronic Dyspnea-Noncardiovascular Origin 
8. Chylothorax Treatment Planning  
9. Colorectal Cancer Screening  
10. Dementia  
11. Fever Without Source or Unknown Origin-Child  
12. Management of Iliac Artery Occlusive Disease  
13. Ovarian Cancer Screening  
14. Renal Transplant Dysfunction  
15. Supplemental Breast Cancer Screening Based on Breast Density  
16. Suspected and Known Heart Failure  
17. Suspected Primary Bone Tumors  
18. Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm or Dissection-Treatment Planning and Follow-Up  

The ACR AC was first introduced in 1993 by expert panels in diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology. The guidelines are developed and reviewed annually by expert panels in diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology. Spanish translations of the ACR AC are now available from Colegio Interamericano de Radiología for more than 60 topics. More Spanish versions will be posted on a rolling basis as translations progress. More information about ACR AC is available on the ACR website.