What Are the Most Common CT Scan Problems?

Computerized Tomography (CT) scans are widely utilized in the medical field in specified cases where a more detailed analysis of a patient is required due to the fact that CT scans act like a more advanced type of X-ray equipment that grant the physicians a view of the inner workings of the human anatomy. In this way, physicians are able to make a more accurate diagnosis regarding the condition of the patient under consideration. Even though CT scans play an important role toward medical diagnosis, the intensity of the X-ray beams from the CT scans also exponentially increases the risks or problems associated with the use of any kind of X-ray emitting device. Common CT scan problems include a negative shift in the balance of probability of the patient to develop cancer, the possibility of adverse reactions from the injections utilized during the procedure, and the fact that pregnant or nursing mothers are especially vulnerable to CT scans for fear of the safety of the fetus and infants.

One of the more recognized CT scan problems is the fact that the procedure increases the probability that those who may have been subjected to the process will develop cancer later. The degree of probability is generally not considered to be very high though, since most physicians would rather only use the scans when there is no other choice. This is due to their reluctance to contribute in any way, no matter how infinitesimal, to the possibility that the patient will become sick later as a result of the treatment he or she might be undergoing presently. In fact, this goes against the basic tenets of the ethics in the practice of medicine, ruling out the arbitrary use of the CT scan for minor diagnosis. This inclusion in the CT scan problems may be said to be comparable to weighing the odds and making a decision based on the result of the analysis.

Another set of CT scan problems involves the way in which various individuals react to the contrast agent that is usually fed into the veins of people right before the procedure takes place. Different people react differently, but some are more susceptible to a more intense reaction due to their condition. Pregnant women who may need more diagnosis that may only be possible through the use of the CT scan also present another category of CT scan problems out of a consideration for the welfare of their fetus.