When it comes to medical imaging, there are several different options to choose from for different testing. There are similarities and differences; pros and cons to each. This paper will discuss MRI, CT, and ultrasound. They each have important things to know regarding radiation dose, cost, and reasons to use one over another. MRI provides both anatomic and physiologic information. It is the modality of choice when cartilage, nerves, or organs are of interest. Magnetic resonance imaging does not give off any ionizing radiation. Instead, the magnetic force reacts with the hydrogen in our bodies to show the images. Because of this fact, it is the least harmful to the patient. A major con regarding MRI is the cost. It is one of the pricier …show more content…
The risk to benefit ratio must be weighed before giving a patient that much exposure. “A chest CT typically delivers more than a hundred times the radiation dose of a routine frontal and lateral chest x-ray” (NCBI, 2009). Computed tomography is the method of choice for several issues regarding the head and neck, and chest and abdomen. It is used for trauma to the head or neck, frequently following a car accident. It can be used to look for hydrocephalus, brain bleeds, or even a …show more content…
The prices can vary greatly state to state. Unfortunately, it falls on the patient if it is a scheduled exam to “shop around” to get the best price available to them. Just like the MRI machines, these scanners can run anywhere from $65,000 to 2.5 million dollars. Where CT excels over MRI, is the fact that anyone who has metal in their body that is not removable, can have this scan with no issue. The scan itself is faster, for the patients who may be claustrophobic, this gives them some peace of mind. It also does not produce the loud banging noises that the MRI gives off. The only real contraindication would be any contrast allergies. CT can still be performed without contrast, but the areas of interest won’t be highlighted as well. A typical scan takes about fifteen to thirty minutes, depending on what anatomy is being looked at.
The CT program here at Harper is an additional 16 credit hours beyond the basic radiologic technology
There are two very divergent viewpoints across the medical provider landscape as to whether radiological testing is used too much or not enough. The basic equation comes down to a balance between being sure that certain conditions and disorders are not in play and not wasting time/money and/or exposing the patient to potential harm due to the fairly dangerous nature of being exposed to too much radiation.
160. This is quite a significant jump from 1987, when the NCRP Report No. 93 stated that a mere 11% was attributed to “medical imaging with ionizing radiation.”1 (pp169-170CT) In 2012, Kyle Morford and his colleagues reported that “over the past decade CT has increased from 4% to 11% of all diagnostic imaging studies.”2 (p45) This increase in number of scans come with an increase in patient dose. When a chest CT is performed, a patient gets a dose of 8 mSv. When a radiographic exam of the chest is done in two projections, the dose is around 0.02mSv. Of course, there are patient factors and contrast administration to consider, but the difference between the two modalities is roughly 400% increase.3 (p705) Knowing this, why is shielding not practiced in computed
Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or commonly known as MRI, is a technique used in medicine for producing images of tissues inside the body. It is an important diagnostic tool because it enables physicians to identify abnormal tissue without opening the body through surgery. MRI lets physicians see through bones and organs. MRI does not expose the patient to radiation, unlike tests that use X-rays. MRI provides an unparallel view inside the human body. It is the method of choice for the
One well-known, historical disaster that came about as our world entered the Nuclear age, was the Chernobyl accident of 1986. Although in this situation nuclear technology had a negative effect on society, other revelations surfaced that have a positive effect on society. Nuclear radiation technology has allowed for a new way of diagnosing and treating patients to be possible. This process begins by injecting a radioactive substance into a patient. The substance serves as a radiotracer that self-distributes itself throughout the body and collects in damaged areas. The patient is then taken into a camera that allows radioactivity to supply an image. The first time through provides an X-ray image and the second time through provides a PET scan. The combination of these two images provides a PET/CT image. This image clearly illustrates where the diseased areas are located in the patients body, allowing for doctors to conclude a more accurate diagnosis for the patient. Once the patient has been diagnosed, depending on the situation radiation therapy can be used as a form of
During the early 1970’s something called Computed Tomography (CT) Scanning was introduced into medicine. The CT scans were able to provide the first clear image of the brain and brain tumors. This was done by using X-Rays which provided doctors with images of a section or “slice” of the brain. In the following decades, CT Scanning becomes more and more refined and is now also being paired with other imaging techniques such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) which was invented by Damadian in 1977 (Filler, 2009).
“CT unit provide cross-sectional views of the body and is able to obtain several dozen images for information with one exposure”. (Gurley, Callaway, 2011, 87). In USA, first clinical trial of CT scan was conducted in 1973 by Mayo clinic. Current CT scanners generate very less radiation comparing to old units. They also have a capability to create 3D images. The new scanners are 320 slices and complete one 360° rotations in 275 milliseconds. Both contrast and non contrast studies are performed with CT. “The median effective radiation dose for non-contrast studies is 0.93 millisieverts (mSv) compared to 2.67 mSv for the first generation units”. (Yang, et al, 2014, 41). Depending on the facility the average cost of routine non contrast study is $850-$1500, and for contrast and any special procedure ranges from $2500-$6000. GE healthcare is also a major manufacturer of CT
Last of the diagnostic imaging tools is the MRI. MRI, which stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, was a technique developed in the 1950?s by Felix Bloch, and is the most versatile, powerful, and sensitive tool in use. The process of MRI was originally called NRI, Nuclear Resonance Imaging, but was found to be to confusing due to the fact that MRI?s don?t use radioactivity and ionizing radiation. The MRI generates a very powerful electromagnetic field, which allows the radiologist to generate thin-section images of any part of the body. Also it can take these images from any direction or angle, and is done without and surgical invasion. Another plus side to the MRI is the time it takes to perform, where as a CAT scan may take 30-60 min. A MRI may only take 15 minutes max. The MRI also creates ?maps? of biochemical compounds within a cross-section of the body. These maps give basic biomedical and anatomical information that provides new knowledge and may allow early diagnosis of many diseases.
The writers draw out that CT scans can be useful and harmful to us.CT scans can be used to detect the diseases in your body but at the same time,it can also harm our body due to the expose to radiation which can possibly cause cancer.CT scans is good at identifying diseases fast for the patient to get treatment immediately but it is actually giving out lots of radiation which may cause cancer.CT scans is indifferent depending on the situation.
There are no known harmful effects from exposure to the magnetic field or radio waves used in MRI.
Physicians must ask themselves, “Is this CT the best examination to diagnose this condition in the child?” (National Cancer Institute, 2012). CT scans are quick, prevent misdiagnoses and unnecessary surgeries; however, there are two alternatives: ultrasound and MRI. Communication between pediatric physicians and radiologists is extremely important in minimizing radiation exposure (National Cancer Institute, 2012). The Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging is a great source for physicians, medical physicists and technologists to gain knowledge on how to minimize radiation exposure on pediatric
CT scan has positively changed modern medicine, despite the negative impact of radiation exposure that is associated with it. The advantages to using CT scan as explained above exceeds the disadvantages. It can be concluded that CT scans will continue to be used in modern medicine until a better machine that can provide the
CT scanning is one of the most widely used digital imaging techniques, and it has many benefits. Though a CT scan typically costs more than an ultrasound, it is more sensitive in picking up soft tissue, blood vessels, and bone simultaneously, making it the preferred
A CT scan, also known as computed tomography, utilises the computed compiling of many X-rays taken from all different directions around an object in order to form tomographic images of precise areas of the object, allowing one to see inside the object without incision. Because of the involvement with gamma rays in the process of a CT scan, there is an, albeit small, increase in the risk of developing cancer every time a scan is performed. This small payoff is almost always worth it, as CT scans play a huge part in not only modern medical imaging, but has more recently been
An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is a scan that uses a system of techniques, involving magnetism, radio waves and a computer to generate detailed images of the human body. Essentially, it is a tube encased by a large circular magnet. The patient would be placed on a moveable bed, which is then inserted into the tube. The magnet then creates a strong magnetic field that aligns the protons of hydrogen atoms. These hydrogen atoms come from the human body, which is 50-65% H2O. These atoms are exposed to a beam of radio waves. This spins the various protons of the body. As they spin, they produce a slight
Digital radiography (DR) is a revolutionary invention in radiography. With this technology, no cassette is needed for an x-ray examination meaning that there is no need to reload films or to erase imaging plate in every examination. This is a distinctive feature which conventional radiography and computed radiography (CR) do not have. DR was first introduced in 1996 (Carroll, 2011). Miniature electronic x-ray detectors are used as the image receptor. The detectors enable the direct capture of the x-ray image without conversion steps (like the conversion of x-ray photos into light photons). This technology is widely used nowadays since it has many advantages and it brings much convenience to radiographers. One of the main advantages of DR is image post-processing in which the quality of the film (in terms of contrast and brightness, etc.) can be adjusted to reach the desired standard. Therefore, the tolerance of the deviation of the exposure factors is greater and the need of repeating the examination is greatly reduced so the patient dose is reduced. This follows the as low as reasonably achievable principle for radiation protection and this also improve the final image quality simultaneously. Besides, many DR systems were installed with preset for numerous anatomical studies which can improve the post processing. Like CR, the images produced are in digital format so this provides convenience for radiographers to store and retrieve the image easily. DR is also capable to work with PACS