P73 Trends in ultrasound guided musculoskeletal injections at one tertiary care centre over 6 years

Abstract

Abstract Background Ultrasound (US) has brought many benefits into rheumatologic practice, delivery of targeted injections into joints, bursae and other structures. Whilst many joints may be accurately injected in clinic, guided by clinical landmarks, US permits injections into anatomically less accessible sites. We have assessed trends in the number and type of requests for US guided joint or soft tissue injections from the rheumatology department over the last 6 years, and the impact on waiting times. Methods Details of all requests for US guided joint or soft tissue injections were obtained from the St George’s PACS system from 1 January 2013 - 31 December 2018. Review of patient records was conducted to determine whether the referral was routine or urgent, the waiting time between referral and appointment, the joint or structure to be injected, and whether an injection into the requested site was actually performed. Results Table 1 shows the total number of out-patient attendances in rheumatology per year from 2013 - 2018, the number of referrals for US-guided injection, the proportion requested urgently and waiting times for routine and urgent cases. Over 6 years requests for US guided injections have risen 2.3-fold, from <1% to nearly 2% of all out-patient attendances. Of 1834 requests, no injections were given in 420 instances (23%), due to patient preference or lack of indication at time of US. In 2018 of all joint or tendon/bursa injections initiated in rheumatology, 260 (38%) were given in routine clinic time without delay, and 420 (62%) were requested by US with a delay of over 2 months. Conclusion Over 6 years a 33% increase in out-patient clinic workload has been accompanied by a disproportionate 2.3-fold increase in requests for US guided injections, representing >50% of injections initiated by the service. One explanation may be time pressure in clinic. This trend has not been matched by increased radiology capacity, with urgent requests now waiting >6 weeks. This has implications for quality of care, staffing and effective service delivery. The trend to fewer injections in clinic will continue if clinicians become increasingly reliant on radiology colleagues. Disclosures K. Lall None. V. Ejindu None. P.D.W. Kiely None.