Double CT Scans Increase Your Risk

Medicare has determined that far too many CT scans are repeated right away to get more information, especially at community hospitals. The problem is more than the considerable cost. Each CT scan has the radiation exposure of 350 chest x-rays. Excess radiation increases the risk of cancer and other chronic degenerative diseases. If you are offered a second CT scan, it is probably better to just say no, unless of course it is a matter of life or death. Other major tests are expensive and potentially dangerous. For example, coronary catheterizations are often suggested just to see how a patient is doing. In fact, other means of testing can give similar info. What the caths do best is increase the pressure to do unnecessary cardiac surgery. See the Toledo Blade’s(click here) printing of a New York Times article, June 20, 2011, Section A, Page 6.