Therehavebeenmanydifferentopinionsovertheefficacyofroutinelyincorporatingliver-windowsettingsin abdominalcomputedtomography(CT)scans.Asaresult,differentclinicalcentreshavevaryingprotocolsforincorporatingliver-windowsforabdominalCTscans.Thisinvestigationaimstoexploreanddeterminewhethervariousclinical centres throughout Victoria use liver-window settings selectively or routinely and their justification for doing so. An additionalpurposeisalsotoassessthebenefitsandrationaleofliver-windowsettingsinsupplementingroutinesoft-tissue-windowsforabdominalCTexaminationsbyreviewingevidenced-basedstudies.Surveys were sent out to CT supervisors at various clinical centres, including private and public institutions. This achievedanoverallresponserateof74percent.ResultsindicatethatthemajorityofclinicalcentresthroughoutVictoria routinelyincorporateliver-windowsettingsforallabdominalCTexaminations.Fortyfourpercent(/25)ofrespondentsstatedthattheyutiliseliver-windowsettingsselectivelyforabdominalCTexaminations.Mostoftheserespondents (7/=63percent)believedthatsoft-tissue-windowsettingsaloneareadequatetodemonstratehepaticlesions;particularlyifintravenouscontrastmediaisusedandtheliveriscapturedinthearterial,venousand/ordelayedphases.Thebenefitsandrationaleofincorporatingliver-windowsettingsforallabdominalcomputedtomographyscanshas beenquestionedbytwowellnotedstudiesintheUnitedStates.Theseevidence-basedstudiessuggestthatsuchadditional settingsdonotofferfurtheradvantagesindetectinghepaticdisease,whencomparedtosoft-tissue-windowsalone.Reviewoftheavailableliteratureprovidesadditionalevidencesuggestingthattheroutineuseofliver-windowsettings inconjunctionwithsoft-tissue-windowsoffersnofurtheradvantagesinthedetectionofhepaticdiseases.Thisinvestigationfound,however,thatthemajorityofrespondentsarecurrentlyrecordingliver-windowsroutinelyforallabdominal CTscans.Thisisperformedeventhoughmanyoftheserespondentsagreedwithestablishedliteraturethatliver-windows shouldbereservedforpatientswithhighclinicalsuspicionofhepaticdisease,orwhenalesionisdetectedonthestandard soft-tissue-window. AustralianInstituteofRadiography TheRadiographer2006:53():2-9 Review