What are the benefits of CT scanning?

• CT scans can be incredibly beneficial with diagnosing and determining many dimensions of pathologies.
• CT scan of the head can be increasing useful in the realm of acute trauma.
• Example: CT scans provide more detailed information on head injuries than regular radiographs, and are the best choice for showing changes in bone.

• CT can show bone, soft tissue, and blood vessels in the same images.
• Advancements and quick timing of CT scans, patients are seen and diagnosed at a faster rate.
• Example: Dr. Mike Heller, program director of the Emergency Medicine Residency at St. Luke's hospital in Bethlehem, PA., states, "...That's why a normal CT scan is so useful: in often; it allows you to discharge the patient and virtually assure the doctor that no operative intervention is needed."

• CT can also be used for biopsies, planning surgery, diagnosing  new tumors, and monitoring old tumors.
• Example: Physicians use abdomen-pelvis CT scans because they have been demonstrated to increase certainty of diagnosis, decrease the need for emergency surgery and avert up to a quarter hospital admissions.

• 74% of 383 emergency room patients believe that getting the correct diagnosis outweighed the radiation risk of CT scans.

References:

ER patients favor CT; will tolerated risk. (2010). Diagnostic Imaging, 32 (11). Retrieved

            from http://www.diagnosticimaging.com

Costanzo, V. (2001). Imaging after head trauma: Which method do doctors prefer and

why?. Advance for Imaging & Radiation Oncology.  Retrieved from http://imaging-radiation-oncology.advanceweb.com

Patients profess more confidence in exams that include imaging. (2011). RT-image.

Retrieved from http://www.rt-image.com