Study: Use of CT rises to 330% in emergency rooms

John Egan

The use of computed tomography in U.S. emergency rooms rose by 330% from 1996 to 2007, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Health System.

Only 3% of the patients ER received computed tomography in 1996, while 14% of emergency patients treated in 2007, received the study shows. One of the authors of the study, Dr. Keith Kocher, asserts that in 2007, approximately a quarter of all CT scan performed at the United States made in ERs.

Kocher said that during the period covered by the study, ER visits increased by approximately 30%, while the use of CT rose by 330% - i.e., the rate of use of the CT has grown 11 times faster than the rate of ER visits.

The study does not identify the reasons for the increase in the use of TB in ERs.

"I think much of the increase is linked to changes in how doctors from practicing medicine and the availability of CT scanners", explains Kocher. "They provide a lot of information quickly and if the doctors and patients see CTs as a means to effectively diagnoses.". Couple that with the fact that CT scanners are commonly housed in or nearby (ER) itself and the obstacles to obtaining the factual test is lower than in the past. ?

According to the index of transparency most recent Healthcare to a non-profit group called change: health care, the average costs for the most common types of CT (abdomen and pelvis) ranges from $ 924 to $ 1,096. The group said more than 70 million of CT is performed in the United States each year.

Most insurance plans cover CT scans.

CT - also called computed tomography or CT fair - A combines a series of views of X-rays taken from different angles to produce cross-sectional images of the bone and soft tissue inside of your body, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Images that results can be compared to a loaf of sliced bread, says the Mayo Clinic. Your doctor can look at each of these slices individually or perform additional visualization to 3D images. Scan images offer much more information than regular x-rays.

Scanner is especially useful for quickly examining persons who have suffered internal injuries from car accidents or other injuries, according to the Mayo Clinic. A CT scan also visualize brain and - with the injected contrast material assistance - you deadlocks or other problems in your blood vessels.

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