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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 3 pages research paper/essay that discusses the ethical considerations involved in the use of computed tomography (CT) scanning. Bibliography lists 1 source.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khcteth.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
yearly in 1981 to 20 million in 1995 (Lozano). While CT imaging accounts for only "11 percent of all diagnostic radiology studies and procedures," this aspect of radiology science is
responsible for over two-thirds of the radiation exposure experienced by US patients (Lozano). In other words, a chest CT is roughly the equivalent of 400 chest x-rays. If several CT
studies are performed on a single patient, it is possible for the radiation dose to exceed 50 mSv and research involving Japanese survivors of the Hiroshima blast found that there
is increased cancer risk when radiation exposure exceed this level (Lozano). Therefore, ethical considerations demand that radiologists address the increased risks involved with increasing use of CT imaging and this
issue is likely to become even more prevalent in the near future. The goal of radiology is provide the information that referring professional healthcare practitioners need in order to
determine the best plan of care for a patient. Radiologists endeavor to keep radiation exposure as "low as reasonably achievable" while using a diagnostic modality that is best for achieving
this purpose, but also provides the needed information (Lozano). It is sometimes the case that alternative technologies, such as ultrasound, can provide "more or better information" than CT imaging and
thereby avoid "the use of ionizing radiation entirely" (Lozano). Patients are seldom provided information regarding the risks and benefits of CT imaging and the radiation levels involved. This is
partially due to the fact that many physicians who order that CT studies be performed do not fully appreciate the risks of radiation exposure and do not understand the levels
of radiation involved in a CT scan. However, ordering or performing a "study without an appreciation of the potential risks of the radiation exposure is akin to order any other
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