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The Pros And Cons Of Medical Diagnostic Imaging

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In the world of medical diagnostic imaging, modern advances in imaging technology allow Health Care Professionals (HCPs) to look inside a person’s body through the development of detailed pictures or scans in order to diagnose disease, trauma, or abnormalities within a patient. Computed Tomography (CT), Plain X-rays (Radiographs) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are three of the exams used by HCPs today. CT and MRI can be interchangeable in many instances and both provide more details than a radiograph. Since that is the case, why don’t HCPs just use CT every time? In order to answer that question HCPs must have a thorough understanding of each modality and weigh the pros and cons of each exam in order to determine which one is best …show more content…

(Long, Smith, Rollins, 2016, pg. 5). Since it is a static single dimensional image depicting a view as if you were looking through the body usually more than one x-ray is prescribed. The pros of using plain x-ray for an examination is that it is cheap compared to other modalities. It is the most common exam used in diagnostic imaging, and it is often used as a preliminary exam to determine if more extensive testing is necessary. Just like CT patients are exposed to ionized radiation but at much lower doses than a CT scan, and patients can also have a negative reaction to contrast or dyes which are occasional intravenously injected to improve the image …show more content…

MRI scanners use powerful magnets to create a temporary magnetic field around a patient’s body. Radio waves are transmitted through the body by a transmitter/receiver and a computer captures and converts the feedback into a digital image (FDA, 2016). MRIs are produced by taking multiple sectional images or “slices” and producing a three-dimensional image (Pressman 2016). The MRI technique is the best method to capture soft tissue such as the brain and spinal cord. The best part about an MRI is that it does not require the patient to be exposed to ionized radiation. There are some negative aspects to consider regarding an MRI. According to Pressman (2016) MRIs can take a long time to complete. The patient must lie still for a long time, and movement or metal can cause the image to become distorted. Patients with metal

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