Doctors can use CT scans with less radiation to diagnose appendicitis
A new paper in the British Journal of Surgery, published by Oxford University Press, indicates it's now possible to diagnose appendicitis using low-does CT scans, decreasing the radiation exposure, which is of significant clinical importance especially in young patients.
Appendicitis is one of the most common causes of hospital admissions and appendicectomies are some of the most common surgical procedures performed worldwide. It can be difficult to diagnose appendicitis, however. Such difficulties may delay or lead to unnecessary surgeries. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans are very useful in helping doctors to make the correct diagnosis but there are concerns about radiation exposure.
The increasing evidence on the safety and efficacy non-operative treatment for uncomplicated acute appendicitis has set new demands for the accuracy of diagnostics in both acute appendicitis and appendicitis severity. As an emergency appendicectomy is no longer considered the only treatment alternative for patients with uncomplicated acute appendicitis, the emphasis has shifted from solely assessing whether a patient has appendicitis or not toward differentiating between uncomplicated and complicated acute appendicitis.
https://academic.oup.com/bjs/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/bjs/znab383/6421480?redirectedFrom=fulltext
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