<p>This is so upsetting. My daughter has had two GI CT scans and a small bowel series (almost as much radiation.) The thing is they were not unnecessary. I suppose one could be questioned in hindsight but she had a lot of faith in her doctor who felt it was necessary. The other two were necessary and she has an illness that could require more scans in the future. It’s the constant risk analysis that is so difficult when a doctor feels a scan is needed. But I worry a lot because she’s a young female in her childbearing years.</p>
<p>My D had one head CT scan when she was 17 after she fainted and hit her head on concrete. She another when she was 18 after breaking two bones in her back falling off a horse. I had one just a few months ago. I have always thought they were over used but didn’t question them. </p>
<p>Son of Opie - it is hard to say which is more of a motivator - avoiding getting sued or the millions made through self referral.</p>
<p>To those who are worried about their children’s brain scans, I am pretty sure that neurological tissue is relatively resistant to radiation damage. </p>
<p>The benefit from a CT scan that is really necessary far outweighs the increased risk of cancer induction in the future.</p>
<p>I had a puzzling medical emergency back in 2002 that baffled the ER docs for hours. And they used CT scan to provide key information that led to the eventual diagnosis. I’ll take whatever future radiation ill-effects are in store for me, because without that correct diagnosis I would have died later that night. I was circling the drain. CT scan helped give me seven more years (and counting).</p>
<p>I’m watching a CNN report on it now and they said that heart/chest CT scans are more dangerous than head scans. One issue is that scans at the same hospital and same machine can vary by as much as 4 times the radiation so a big part of the problem is more closely regulating and monitoring the machines.</p>
<p>Again, I had post-op radiation therapy 5 days a week for 5 weeks and got over my fear. It is all about dying and you can do that by just crossing a street.</p>
<p>I know many of you are worried about your kiddos and their exposure to CT, but truly, the reality is the soda and fast food they put in their bodies (my kids included) do far more long term hard than a CT scan or two. I was born with the “worry gene” but raising 8 kids has caused that worry to actually lessen. Thinks work out, what is meant to be is meant to be, and the sun rises tomorrow.</p>
<p>overseas:</p>
<p>My experience exactly (see post 12). I’m more likely to get cancer (again) because of family history than because of CT-scans or Xrays.</p>
<p>Physician here. Some thoughts.</p>
<p>It is impossible to give truly informed consent without knowing all the possible problems, alternatives, risks, etc- in short getting that many years medical education. We live in an imperfect world, there will always be some cost for every benefit. Sometimes you have to get philosophical about past procedures and not worry about potential future problems that are still highly unlikely to occur. For future tests you have to weigh the benefits and risks yet not waste too much of your life agonizing over the choices. One problem with optimizing equipment is the huge cost factor- would the difference be worth bankrupting yourself?</p>
<p>The term “MRI” is used medically for the same testing/analyzing process long used in chemistry called “NMR”. It was felt by some powers that be that the term “nuclear” would scare people. Nuclear magnetic resonance/imaging uses magnets to temporarily influence the particles in an atom’s nucleus (the “nuclear”) but sounded too much like the nuclear as used in power plants and that radiation. Sound waves are used in ECHOs and other ultrasounds- think bats’ and dolphins’ perception abilities. All techniques give different information, useful in diagnosing different things. As knowledge progresses diagnostic techniques change- years ago CAT/CT (computerized axial tomography) scans vastly improved the ability to diagnose many conditions. Even today CT scans find things other techniques can’t, just as other techniques find things CT scans can’t.</p>
<p>I am not so impressed with medical technology.
My mother was found yesterday morning on the floor of her care facility with no pulse.
A CT scan showed no abnormalities and neither did the high tech pace maker that was put in less than a month ago, show any indication of any disruption.</p>
<p>During her recovery from surgery a few weeks ago, I asked how her carotid artery was doing ( she had been in the same hospital less than a year ago, for surgery for her artery).
They didn’t know what I was talking about.
My sister and brother are meeting with the dr tommorrow to have the respirator turned off.
She turned 75 exactly a month ago.
Merry Christmas.</p>
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<p>CT scans have reduced the both rate of ruptured appendices and negative appendectomies (surgery done, but appendix not diseased) from 20% to 3%.
[CT</a> screening lowers negative appendectomy rate](<a href=“CT screening lowers negative appendectomy rate from 20% to 3% at urban hospital”>CT screening lowers negative appendectomy rate from 20% to 3% at urban hospital)</p>
<p>See also the CC thread on appendicitis: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/416755-ds-tummyache-appendicitis-2.html?highlight=appendectomy[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/416755-ds-tummyache-appendicitis-2.html?highlight=appendectomy</a></p>
<p>EK
I’m truly sorry.</p>
<p>So sorry Emeraldkitty.</p>
<p>Diane Rehm has a segment on this today.
It will be available later on on this site, if you fail to catch it on the air.</p>
<p>I was upset by my son’s CT scan because it was completely unneccessary. It was just to protect the doctor on the extremely, extremely remote chance that something was wrong. I would not be upset if one of my children had a CT scan that was necessary. In the case of a concussion or other medical occurrance that called for a CT scan, I would not question it. I think to blindly recommend it, in any instance, without considering the risks vs. the benefits is unconscionable. </p>
<p>My 93 year old aunt recently had a very mild fall in an assisted living facility. She was not hurt at all. She was sent to the emergency room of the nearby hospital. They did a battery of tests including a CT scan of the brain, all of which came back as normal. When I met her at the ER I asked her when she had last eaten. She had not eaten anything for 24 hours and was weak from not eating. I got her a sandwich which I made her eat and she immediately felt better and stronger. No one in the ER bothered to ask her when she had last eaten. In her case radiation risks were not an issue due to her advanced age, but I recently received her medicare statement which showed the charges from her ER visit. The visit cost medicare thousands of dollars. What a waste of money on a women who just was hungry.</p>
<p>And it goes to the high cost of health care, etc. The CT scan my daughter had last year was billed to her insurance at almost $10,000. A physician friend of mine told me the true cost of a scan is hundreds, not thousands, of dollars.</p>
<p>Sorry, I forgot about the link .
Here it is
[WAMU</a> 88.5 FM American University Radio - The Diane Rehm Show](<a href=“http://wamu.org/programs/dr/]WAMU”>http://wamu.org/programs/dr/)</p>
<p>I just wanted to add that as a patient or parent of a patient, you always have the right to refuse treatments that you feel are unnecessary. Of course, in extreme life or death cases, your right to refuse treatment for a child can be challenged, but in general, no one can force you to have a test, have a procedure, or take a medication against your will. A lot of people forget that and just blindly follow doctors’ recommendations. When you are sick or vulnerable and things appear to be happening too quickly, that is the time to take a breath, stop the train and ask questions until you are satisfied you have all the necessary information to make an informed decision about your care or the care of your loved one.</p>
<p>So sorry! I have just gotten back on my feet so to speak after spending over five years carrying for, nursing & saying final goodbyes to my elderly parents. My best to you…</p>
<p>I am so sorry EK.</p>
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<p>This is so well said, we have to remember that always.
LTS comes to mind, the one that wanted to know everything about her ilness and about her care :)</p>