CAT Scans, MRIs and PET Scans help doctors diagnose many diseases more accurately, but do the benefits always outweigh any financial and health risks?
In the new issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, research shows a large increase in the number of advanced medical imaging tests performed.
Among six large health care systems reviewed for this study, the use of computed tomography nearly tripled. Magnetic resonance imaging nearly quadrupled At the beginning of the study CT scanning went from about 50 scans per thousand enrollees to about 150 scans. MRI went from just under 20 scans per thousand enrollees to 65 scans.
The research team, based at the University of San Francisco, found that the increase in the use of CT was also associated with a substantial increase in estimated exposure of radiation. CT and other exams deliver much higher doses of ionizing radiation than traditional x-rays and there is little data currently available to help determine the benefits.
If you have concerns about imaging tests that are ordered for you, talk over your fears with your physician.
I'm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV, with the news that doctors are reading; health news that matters to you.
Source: www.nlm.nih.gov
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