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The use of diagnostic imaging in ER has quadrupled since 1990s, a report

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According to a new report, the application of high-leveled diagnostic imaging procedures in emergency rooms (ER) CT_scanhas quadrupled since the mid-1990s. The report was produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

MRI, CT or PET scans were requested in 14% of ER visits during 2007, which equals four times the percent in 1996. It is a fact that there are more and better scanning machines available today than those back in the 1990s, the report said. It added that the scans offer better images with fewer problems inside the body in comparison to those images produced in the 1990s. Yet, there is a rising expression of worries regarding the safety and costs of all these scans. Dr. Rita Redberg, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, said "I wish I had an answer as to whether that's great news or bad news," Redberg has discussed previously the safety concerns of excessive CT scans. She commented on the new statistics saying that is was "astounding" She, along with other colleagues, confirmed the need for strict guidelines to ensure that scans are performed when medically needed without undergoing excessive use.

The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics presented its report on the annual summary of United States data on disease conditions, health behaviors and application of medical services. The scan figures were obtained on visits to nearly 500 hospitals and 3,000 doctor's offices and clinics. The report mentioned three types of scans, MRIs, CT scans, and PET scans. The doctors started applying the devices in the 1970s but the technology was dramatically improved, according to Amy Bernstein, director of the team who put together the CDC report. The report also said that the number of machines has increased. In 2006, there were about 8,000 MRI machines, which is the double figure reported back in 1995. Moreover, the number of CT scanners was elevated by 20% in three years, to reach more than 10,100 scanners in 2006.

However, the scans are expensive since a single CT scan would cost about $500 to $1,000, while MRIs and PET scans can even be far more expensive. The federal Medicare program has been working to reduce imaging costs since its annual bill has exceeded $12 billion. Yet, there are still questions about the effects of these scans in lowering mortality rates as a result to these increasing costs, "There's a question of whether we're getting our money's worth," said Dr. Linda Fried, dean of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, in New York.


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