Full Body CT Scans: Info to Know Before You Go (Part 1)
Based on the article
“Guidelines for Full Body CT Scans?” on the BioEthics Web Log, at
blog.bioethics.net
Edited (with Introduction)
by Dr. Don Rose, Writer, Life
Alert
--
You may have seen the ads in newspapers,
offering to scan your body (for a fee) in order to learn what things may be wrong
with you, before these things cause major problems. In theory, it sounds great,
but this article raises some questions and concerns one should think about before
deciding on a specific type of scan: the full body CT (Computed Tomography)
scan. –Don Rose
--
With the convenience and popularity of full body CT scans increasing as a simple
solution to detect the ever growing number of maladies cropping up in aging bodies,
Menlo Park's Almanac reports that
some doctors are warning of the risks inherent to the technology. Advertisements
for body scans espouse the procedure’s ability to identify heart disease, lung disease
and cancer and other ailments, but do not mention the plausible health side effects
of the scan itself. In addition, the FDA provides no regulatory standards for the
scanning industry.
When considering the potential
dangers of false positives (indicating that you have a problem when in fact
you don’t) and radiation exposure, one
should think hard and evaluate all options before jumping right into a full body
scan. For health care professionals, it may not always be the wisest move to steer
people showing no symptoms or signs of problems toward a treatment that could damage
an otherwise healthy body. (Remember the famous phrase that medical practitioners have
long been taught: “First,
do no harm.”)
Should there be professional standards or guidelines stating when it is or is not
appropriate for someone to receive a body scan? Or should this aspect of medicine
remain “Caveat Emptor” (buyer beware) – with the hope that "informed consent" will
wash away any problems?
The answers are not easy, but Part 2 of this article provides additional information
regarding full body scans that sheds more light on these issues.
This work (Full Body CT Scans… Part 1) and the work it is based on are licensed
under a
Creative Commons License.
The information provided here is, to the best of our
knowledge, reliable and accurate. However, while
Life Alert
strives to provide true, precise and consistent information, we cannot guarantee
100 percent accuracy. Readers are encouraged to review the original article and
gather more information before drawing conclusions and making decisions.
Dr. Don Rose writes books, papers and articles
on many topics, including computers, the Internet, artificial intelligence, science
and technology, and issues related to seniors.
For more information about
Life Alert, its emergency response services and other benefits for
seniors -- available in
New York
,
California,
Florida
, and other states nationwide -- please visit the following
websites:
http://www.lifealert.com
http://www.seniorprotection.com
http://www.911seniors.com