Elk Grove Village, IL—(ENEWSPF)—August 27, 2015. A cross-sectional study of children admitted to 33 pediatric tertiary-care hospitals between 2004 and 2012 examined the rates and types of imaging done for 10 of the most common diagnostic groups in children. These groups included seizures, appendicitis, concussions, upper respiratory infections and abdominal pain.
The study, “Computed Tomography and Shifts to Alternate Imaging Modalities in Hospitalized Children,” appears in the September 2015 issue of Pediatrics (published online August 24).
It found that use of CT scans for these diagnostic groups has decreased overall. However, rates for alternate forms of imaging such as ultrasound and MRI have increased in eight of the 10 groups. The authors assert that the shift in imaging type could be related to concerns regarding ionizing radiation and increased cancer risks as well as growing confidence in and ability to perform the newer alternate types of imaging.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 64,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. (www.aap.org)
Source: www.aap.org
