The 4 Quadrants: Acute Pathology in the Abdomen and Current Imaging Guidelines

With several different imaging options available, it is not surprising that health care providers are unsure which imaging study is most appropriate for evaluating patients who present to the emergency department with abdominal pain. The American College of Radiology, currently, has appropriateness criteria for patients presenting with right upper, right lower, and left lower quadrant pain, and there are different variants for each of these quadrants. Clinicians should be aware of the American College of Radiology appropriateness criteria and, whenever possible, should be using criteria as guide to help them order the most appropriate imaging study.