Ct Scan Observation

During my observation at Aultman North, I learned that the CT scanner is a large white machine with a giant hole in the center, as you can see in the image here (“Computed Tomography”, 2013). There is a table that the patient lays on that goes into the machine, and the patient has to stay there until the
CT Tech giving a patient an abdominal scan shown here. scan is over, which only takes about five minutes. “CT scans are performed to analyze the internal structures of various parts of the body” (Stӧppler, 2015). This explains that CT scans deal with internal organs in the body, and a doctor can’t see internal organs without this test being done. All of them were on different areas of the body, so it was interesting to see the variation
of age and location of the CT scan in these different cases. However, there are some people who are advised not to get a scan unless extremely necessary. Pregnant women are usually not advised to get a CT scan unless their life is in danger because it could harm the baby (Ryan, 2015). It is also important that you tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant before you have the radiation involved with a
CT scan.
“Children are also highly sensitive to radiation and so CAT scans should not be done on children without absolute need” (Ryan, 2015). This shows that children are very sensitive to radiation and should not be exposed to it because of a CT scan unless it is very important. “Like X-rays and PET scans, CT scans use ionizing radiation, which can damage DNA and cause cancer” (Boodman, 2016). This explains that CT scans use this radiation, and it can be so harmful that if used too heavily, can potentially cause cancer. One reason this is becoming such an issue today is because the amount of scans is increasing dramatically. In the United States alone, there were about 85 million scans done in 2011 compared to only 3 million in 1980 (Boodman, 2016). This shows that CT scans are becoming a more popular diagnostic tool in the United States as the years go on, and that is probably why the radiation exposure is becoming the huge issue that it is. Also, people are starting to go through multiple scans in a short amount of time, which would add to the radiation exposure. Boodman (2016) states that a study conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston in 2009 showed that out of 31,000 patients that had a CT scan done, 33% of them had gone through more than five. This explains that a large number of people have gone through multiple CT scans, and they will be exposed to more radiation and have an increased risk of cancer. “Doctors who have a financial stake in radiology clinics or who own scanners use imaging substantially more often than those who don’t, studies have found” (Boodman, 2016). In some instances, because of money, some doctors will push overuse of CT scanning in their hospital. That is a problem because more testing results in more radiation exposure which causes a potential increase in cancer caused by radiation. Another reason radiation is becoming an issue in CT scanning is because patients are unaware. “One-third of people getting a CT scan
didn’t know the test exposed their body to radiation, in a new study from a single U.S. medical center” (“Many People Unaware of Radiation”, 2013). This shows that many patients have not been informed about the radiation risk of a scan. I believe that doctors and health professionals should do a better job of relaying this information to patients. This could possibly turn a few more people away from getting the scan, but it is their right to know what they are being exposed to before the test occurs. After researchers took medical records of 22,000 patients ranging from ages 18-35, they found that only about .01 percent of them had died from cancer caused by this harmful radiation (Khan, 2013). This is a very low number, and even though it is a possibility for it to happen to anybody, the chances of dying from radiation-induced cancer is slim to none. Mrs. Prasco added that she has not had any patients refuse a scan due to the scare of radiation. Also, the number of patients dying from their disease after getting a scan is increasing. Khan (2013) asserts that the study showed that 3.9 percent of people who had an abdominal scan and 7.1 percent of people who had a chest scan had died, and this came at a surprise to the researchers. This shows that a lot more people are dying from their disease than from radiation exposure from the scans. “Dr. Lee looked at patients who had CT scans between 2003 and 2007, but since then, the average radiation dosage administered during a CT scan has gone down, she says, which would help to assuage fears of radiation-induced cancer even further” (Khan, 2013). This explains that starting about 10-14 years ago, radiation dosage during a CT scan has declined. This is a good thing because it could make patients feel more safe knowing that these radiation doses are decreasing. It could cause patients to feel less afraid about being exposed to large amounts of radiation during their scan.
As the patient, you should be informed. Like stated earlier, only about one-third of patients know about the radiation exposure of a scan (“Many People Unaware of Radiation”, 2013). If you are uninformed about the harmful effects of radiation, you could do some research before you get a scan. You could also talk to your doctor, because they could give you some good information.
. The doctor who orders the scan decides the strength of the radiation dose because there are no government regulations (Ryan, 2015).