Imaging of Acute Abdomen in Pregnancy

Physiologic changes during pregnancy can alter presentations of common pathology. Women should be counseled that x-ray exposure from a single diagnostic procedure, typically less than 5 rad, has not been associated with an increase in fetal anomalies or pregnancy loss. Concern about possible effects of high-dose ionizing radiation exposure should not prevent medically indicated imaging modalities from being performed on a pregnant woman. The principle of as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) should be followed while using imaging modalities that use ionizing radiation. During pregnancy, imaging procedures not associated with ionizing radiation such as ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging should be used in preference to modalities using ionizing radiation when appropriate.