Key Takeaways
Use of head CT scans in U.S. ERs more than doubled in recent years
Nearly 16 million CT scans were ordered in 2022, representing one in every 10 ER visits
This raises concerns over cost, treatment delays and risks of radiation exposure
kAm%w&#$sp*[ }@G] a_[ a_ad Ww62=E9s2J }6HDX — &D6 @7 9625 r% D42?D :? &]$] 6>6C86?4J 56A2CE>6?ED 92D >@C6 E92? 5@F3=65 @G6C E96 A2DE `d J62CD[ 2 ?6H DEF5J D2JD]k^Am
kAm}62C=J `e >:==:@? 9625 r% D42?D H6C6 @C56C65 3J t#D :? a_aa[ FA 7C@> F?56C g >:==:@? :? a__f[ C6D62C496CD C6A@CE65 }@G] `f :? E96 ;@FC?2= k6>mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?]?6FC@=@8J]@C8^=@@<FA^5@:^`_]`a`a^(}{]__________a`cbcfQm}6FC@=@8Jk^2mk^6>m]k^Am
kAm“w625 r% D42?D 2C6 2 4C:E:42= E@@= 7@C 5:28?@D:?8 ?6FC@=@8:42= 6>6C86?4:6D[ 3FE E96:C 8C@H:?8 FD6 C2:D6D 4@?46C?D 23@FE 4@DE[ C25:2E:@? 6IA@DFC6 2?5 56=2JD :? E96 6>6C86?4J 56A2CE>6?E[” =625 C6D62C496C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>65:4:?6]J2=6]65F^AC@7:=6^=2J?6\5J==2^QmsC] {2J?6 sJ==2k^2m[ 2? 2DD:DE2?E AC@76DD@C @7 6>6C86?4J >65:4:?6 H:E9 *2=6 $49@@= @7 |65:4:?6 :? }6H w2G6?[ r@??64E:4FE[ D2:5 :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6]k^Am
kAmr% D42?D 2C6 4C:E:42= H96? C6DA@?5:?8 E@ 6>6C86?4:6D =:<6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]962=E952J]4@>^2\E@\K\962=E9^DEC@<6^96>@CC928:4\DEC@<6\H92E\:E\:D\DJ>AE@>D\42FD6D\EC62E>6?E\C64@G6CJQmDEC@<6Dk^2m[ 3FE 2C6 =6DD 96=A7F= H96? 5:28?@D:?8 AC@3=6>D =:<6 96252496D[ D6:KFC6D @C 5:KK:?6DD[ C6D62C496CD D2:5]k^Am
kAmx? E9@D6 D:EF2E:@?D[ r% D42?D 255 =:EE=6 G2=F6 3FE 3C:?8 255:E:@?2= 4@DE[ D=@H 5@H? EC62E>6?E[ 2?5 6IA@D6 A2E:6?ED E@ F??646DD2CJ 5@D6D @7 C25:2E:@?[ C6D62C496CD D2:5]k^Am
kAm“xE’D :>A@CE2?E E@ 32=2?46 E96 36?67:ED @7 E96D6 D42?D H:E9 E96 C:D<D 2?5 4@DED[” sJ==2 D2:5]k^Am
kAmu@C E96 ?6H DEF5J[ C6D62C496CD 2?2=JK65 r% D42? FD6 2D C6A@CE65 E@ 2 ?2E:@?2= 9@DA:E2= 52E232D6]k^Am
kAm#6DF=ED D9@H65 E92E 3J a_aa >@C6 E92? `_T @7 2== t# G:D:ED :?G@=G65 2 9625 r% D42?[ FA 7C@> F?56C fT :? a__f]k^Am
kAm%96 52E2 2=D@ C6G62=65 5:DA2C:E:6D :? H9@ 8@E E96D6 D42?Dik^Am
kF=mk=:mkAmq=24< A6@A=6 H6C6 `_T =6DD =:<6=J E@ 86E 2 9625 r% D42? E92? H9:E6 A6@A=6]k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm|65:42:5 A2E:6?ED H6C6 `gT =6DD =:<6=J E@ 86E 2 D42? E92? E9@D6 @? |65:42C6 @C AC:G2E6 :?DFC2?46]k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm#FC2= 9@DA:E2= A2E:6?ED H6C6 acT =6DD =:<6=J E92? FC32? A2E:6?ED]k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm$6?:@CD ed 2?5 @=56C H6C6 D:I E:>6D >@C6 =:<6=J E@ 86E 2 9625 r% D42? E92? 49:=5C6? J@F?86C E92? `g]k^Amk^=:mk^F=m
kAm“~G6C2==[ E96D6 C6DF=ED 9:89=:89E E96 ?665 7@C >@C6 6BF:E23=6 2446DD E@ ?6FC@:>28:?8 :? 6>6C86?4J 42C6 2?5 7FCE96C 6G2=F2E:@? @7 E96 2AAC@AC:2E6?6DD @7 6G6CJ 9625 r% 244@C5:?8 E@ 4=:?:42= C64@>>6?52E:@?D[” sJ==2 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“xE’D :>A@CE2?E E@ C64@8?:K6 E96 E6?D:@? 36EH66? F?56CFD6 @7 D42?D[ =625:?8 E@ >:DD65 5:28?@D:D[ 2?5 @G6CFD6[ C6DF=E:?8 :? C25:2E:@? 6IA@DFC6 2?5 255:E:@?2= 7:?2?4:2= 2?5 A2E:6?E 42C6 DEC2:?D @? E96 962=E9 42C6 DJDE6>[” sJ==2 25565]k^Am
kAmx? 2? 244@>A2?J:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?]?6FC@=@8J]@C8^=@@<FA^5@:^`_]`a`a^(}{]__________a`cccbQm65:E@C:2=k^2m[ tFC@A62? C25:@=@8J 6IA6CED 28C665 E92E E96C6 2C6 >2?J A@E6?E:2= 4@?D6BF6?46D 7C@> @G6CFD6 @7 r% D42?D]k^Am
kAm“!2E:6?ED 7246 F??646DD2CJ C25:2E:@? 6IA@DFC6[ H9:49 :D ?@E 2 EC:G:2= 4@?46C?[” HC@E6 E96 E62> =65 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]G2==963C@?]4@>^6?^AC@76DD:@?2=D^2=6I\C@G:C2\42?6==2DQmsC] p=6I #@G:C2k^2m[ 492:C @7 E96 C676CC2= 8F:56=:?6D DF34@>>:EE66 @7 E96 tFC@A62? $@4:6EJ @7 #25:@=@8J]k^Am
kAm“p C646?E yp|p x?E6C?2= |65:4:?6 DEF5J 6DE:>2E65 E92E E96 hb >:==:@? r% D42?D A6C7@C>65 :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D :? a_ab 4@F=5 =625 E@ >@C6 E92? `__[___ 7FEFC6 42?46CD[ A@E6?E:2==J C6AC6D6?E:?8 FA E@ dT @7 2== ?6H 5:28?@D6D 6249 J62C :7 4FCC6?E EC6?5D 4@?E:?F6[” E96 E62> HC@E6]k^Am
kAm“t5F42E:@?2= C6D62C49 D9@HD E92E E96 C@@ED @7 @G6CFD6 368:? H96? 4=:?:4:2?D 2C6 :? EC2:?:?8[” E96J 25565] “p DEF5J D:>F=2E:?8 >65:42= DEF56?ED’ 7:CDE 52J @7 C6D:56?4J C6G62=65 DJDE6>2E:4 @G6C@C56C:?8 @7 :>28:?8[ H:E9 ?62C=J f_T @7 42D6D :?G@=G:?8 F??646DD2CJ 235@>:?2= r% D42?D @C 496DE )\C2JD[ 6IA@D:?8 >@C6 E92? 2 E9:C5 @7 A2E:6?ED E@ D:8?:7:42?E 2G@:523=6 C25:2E:@?]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m|@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 %6I2D |s p?56CD@? r2?46C r6?E6C 92D >@C6 @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]>52?56CD@?]@C8^42?46CH:D6^4E\D42?D\2?5\42?46C\C:D<\\H92E\A2E:6?ED\?665\E@\<?@H]9__\`dhffdede]9E>=Qmr% D42?D 2?5 42?46C C:D<k^2m]k^Am
kAm$~&#rt$i p>6C:42? p4256>J @7 }6FC@=@8J[ ?6HD C6=62D6[ }@G] `h[ a_adj k6>m}6FC@=@8Jk^6>m[ }@G] `h[ a_adk^Am
k9amkDEC@?8m(92E %9:D |62?D u@C *@Fk^DEC@?8mk^9am
kAmt# A2E:6?ED >:89E 4@?D:56C 2D<:?8 5@4E@CD H96E96C 2 9625 r% D42? :D ?646DD2CJ]k^Am
