H1N1 Swine Flu CT Scan Use - Radiologists caution against CT misuse in swine flu diagnosis

(DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING) -- Imaging experts are lining up to caution physicians not to read too much into study findings suggesting that chest CT is better than general radiography for examining A-H1N1 flu patients. They say CT can complement the diagnosis and management of patients with the swine flu, but it should never be considered as a first-line diagnostic test for the disease, especially in pediatric patients. Evidence regarding the benefits of CT scanning in cases of patients affected by the A-H1N1 flu virus continues to pile up. Findings of a study by investigators in Canada, the latest addition to the clinical literature, suggest CT might be better than the standard chest x-ray to show the extent and characterization of the disease. The retrospective review of seven cases led to the conclusion that CT could help physicians with the prospective diagnosis of H1N1, said principal investigator Dr. Amr M. Ajlan, a radiologist at the Vancouver General Hospital in British Columbia.

See full article and related articles at DiagnosticImaging.com

This article was republished with permission from CMPMedica, LLC