Table 2.

Comprehensive Red Flags and Reasons for Concern as Defined by the American College of Radiology¹

Red Flag Symptom	Concern
History of malignancy	Malignancy
Unexplained weight loss	Malignancy
Immunosuppression	Infection, malignancy
Urinary infection	Infection, malignancy
Intravenous drug use	Infection, malignancy
Pain not improved with conservative care	Infection, malignancy
Prolonged use of steroids	Fracture
History of significant trauma	Fracture
Minor fall/heavy lift in osteoporotic/elderly individual	Fracture
Acute onset urinary retention or overflow incontinence	Cauda equina syndrome, severe neurologic compromise
Loss of anal sphincter tone or fecal incontinence	Cauda equina syndrome, severe neurologic compromise
Saddle anesthesia	Cauda equina syndrome, severe neurologic compromise
Global or progressive motor weakness in lower limbs	Cauda equina syndrome, severe neurologic compromise