Ottawa Ankle Rules

What Is An Ottawa Ankle Rules?

Ankle and Foot injuries are commonly encountered in Emergency Departments. It is so common that in a day, there are 25,000 reports of ankle sprains. With this fact, radiography or imaging requests enormously increase as well. Apparently, only a small percentage of the imaging done would show fractures.

became the solution to decrease unnecessary requests for imaging or radiography. Not only because it contributes to the hospital costs, but some injuries also would not really need to be ordered for an x-ray. In order to mitigate these opportunities, a group of doctors in the Emergency Department in Ottawa, Canada, pioneered the list of rules in 1992.

It is evidently found to be accurate in assessing whether an injury is an ankle or foot fracture; that is why it is called a decision-making assessment. Ottawa Ankle Rules directs the attending physician on whether to request imaging for the patient.

How To Use This Ottawa Ankle Rules

Step one. Download and Print the PDF. 

You can either choose if you will administer the assessment through paper or digital completion. Print the template if it will be administered in person, though it is also an option to fill out the assessment through a digital device in the PDF is made editable. 

Step two. Get the patient’s information.

Gather the patient’s personal information. It is important to get these as part of the rules to know the age of the patient as there’s a recommendation to which age group it can be administered. 

Step three. Be reminded of the recommendations. 

Make sure to read the recommendation in applying the Ottawa Ankle Rules accurately. If these were thoroughly followed, it would be highly accurate in deciding whether to request radiography. 

Step four. Go through the rules and examine the patients’ sprain. 

Check the Ottawa Ankle Rules Sample one by one and examine the patient's condition. Pay attention to small details and also the background of the injury. A thorough interview and examination are critical. 

Step five. Go through the results and relay the decision. 

Once the examination is through, properly relay the decision on whether to order imaging. Store the document properly with the consent of your patient. 

When Would You Typically Use An Ottawa Ankle Test?

When patients are rushed to the Emergency room due to an Ankle or Foot Injury, Physicians will conduct an examination. By the end of the examination, medical practitioners will need to decide on the tests that need to be done for a thorough treatment plan. This is when Ottawa Ankle Test is needed.

Use the Ottawa Ankle Test in these instances: 

Deciding whether the patient’s Ankle or Foot Injury needs a radiograph. 

Doctors or medical practitioners have to provide their decision after an initial examination of the patient. One of the reasons why these rules were created was to avoid getting a Radiography and later finding out the expected results. 

Numerous Radiography Orders. 

One of the busiest departments in the hospital is the Radiology Department. The creators of these rules found that most of the results of the numerous radiography orders for Ankle and Middle foot injuries are normal. To save healthcare costs and to decrease unnecessary imaging requests, it is best to use the Ottawa Ankle Test Assessment first. 

Ruling out fractures. 

Physiotherapists are usually the first to attend to these cases in the Emergency Department. This test should be used to determine whether the injury is a fracture or not. If the criteria were failed, then it is faster to recommend a decision if the condition is identified as a fracture. 

Who Can Use these Printable Ottawa Ankle Rules?

This clinical decision-making assessment tool is generally helpful to medical practitioners. It is recommended to those who are knowledgeable in Physical Therapy or Human Anatomy. 

Mainly, here are the people who can use this test: 

• Physicians. Physicians are one of the first contacts of the patients in the Emergency Department. Part of their examination was to see the injury and rule out fractures. This assessment tool would aid them in deciding on the tests that should be performed. 
• Physical Therapists or Physiotherapists. Physiotherapists are knowledgeable in Ankle or Middle foot injuries. This can be useful to them in deciding whether the patient needs imaging. 
• Radiologists. This can be used or recommended by radiologists to control the spike of radiography orders for ankle or middle foot injuries. 
• Nurses. It is helpful for the nurses when aiding the attending physician in identifying the recommended treatment plan for the patient’s injury. Nurses can administer the test, given that they are well-trained in handling injury cases. 
• Chiropractors. Consultations with chiropractors are sophisticated. Ottawa Ankle Rules Assessment can help in referring other specialists in the concern of the client or if imaging will be needed before they conduct the adjustment session. 

Why Is This Assessment Popular With Physical Therapists?

One of the reasons why this Free Ottawa Ankle Assessment is so useful for Physical Therapists is its ability to refer the patient to be treated through appropriate Physical Therapy methods instead of a different treatment.

Here are the remaining reasons why Ottawa Ankle Rules are essential to Physical Therapists: 

• It assists them in determining the treatment plan. 
• The rules are simple to follow for those who are trained in physical therapy. 
• It points to the source of the pain of the patient. 
• It is a helpful screening tool in determining the suggested therapy plan for the patient. 
• It gives them an idea of how critical the patient's condition is. 

Benefits Of Free Ottawa Ankle Rules

Decision Guide

One of the primary purposes of the Ottawa Ankle Rules Assessment is to help physicians decide whether a patient should get a radiograph. It also directs the physicians to refer the patient to physical therapists for a better treatment plan. 

Cost-effective 

The creators of this Ottawa Ankles Rules aimed to decrease the unnecessary imaging order for ankle or middle foot injuries, as most of the results would show typical signs. Most of these injuries are soft tissues, and X-rays won’t be able to identify ligament injuries. This saves additional healthcare costs for the patient and the radiology department. 

Convenient 

Since the whole purpose of creating this screening is to remove the unnecessary, the care that the patient needs becomes more seamless and smoother because of the proper administration of this assessment tool. 

Improves Patient Flow 

This assessment tool helps healthcare practitioners have a more straightforward path with the patient’s treatment plan. Instead of a longer wait time because of unnecessary requests for imaging, Ottawa Ankle Rules ease the flow in the Emergency Department. It gives more time to attend to more patients and lessens the wait time. 

Saves time 

With this screening tool, the medical specialist and the patient save time by skipping some of the examination flow and advising the treatment plan. Since this guide helps healthcare practitioners decide the next step, it clears the process and makes the treatment more efficient.