CT Scanning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CT Scanning - Research Paper Example The paper tells that CT scan stands for computed topography which is an x-ray test that is used to produce cross sectional images of the different parts of the body using an x ray and a computer. This allows the doctor to take an inside look into the different areas of the body and study them as to what problem is going on and then diagnose it for the patients. CT scan is used to evaluate the brain, neck, spine, chest, abdomen, pelvis etc. The CT scanning technique has made it relatively easy for doctors to diagnose and treat the patients and also is safe and well tolerated. A CT scan provides a very different view of the body than an x ray. The major difference lies in it giving a cross sectional image of the body which allows the doctors to examine from within the body. It is also used by cancer patients to look inside the body for the spread of the disease. Some of the advantages of using CT scanning are that it is one of the fastest methods of examining chest, pelvis and abdomen as it views all types of tissues. Also it diagnoses wide varieties of cancer. Moreover it is also useful in examining the spinal problems and injuries to hands, feet and other body structures. CT scanning works much like X ray machines in the sense that numerous X rays and electronic x-ray detectors revolve around the person and measuring the amount of radiation that is being absorbed by the body. The examination table simultaneously moves through the scanner so that the x ray beam follows a spiral path. A special computer program processes the volume of data to create two-dimensional cross-sectional images of the body parts, which are then displayed on a monitor. This technique is called helical or spiral CT (Morgan & Emberton, 1994). The Disease it cures As mentioned above CT scanning can be used to diagnose different types of cancers such as lung cancer, liver, prostate cancer and enables doctors to see the size of the tumor and see the rate at which it is increasing. The size of the tumor, its exact location, and its effect on nearby tissues is also seen through this. CT scanning is also used to see inside the head and the brain region of the person to check if there is internal bleeding or not. Also it helps in analyzing the vascular condition of the person. Vascular condition pertains to the blood flow of the person and if it’s not normal it can lead to kidney failure and even to a heart disease and stroke. It can help assess the bone disease, bone density and the state of a patient’s spine. before CT scan was introduced the examination of such things were not easy for the doctors and now the life expectancy for the patients have increased world over as they are exposed to better health benefits and treatments (Haaga, et al., 1977) (Coburn, 2008). In an article (Foster, Scott, & Payne, 1990) it is also believed that CT scanning may help cure dementia. Dementia is a disease in which the person loses his or her memory as they get old and the living gets tough. The article says that some dementia is reversible and early CT scanning can help establish that whether the treatment can take place or not. It says there are about 50 different reasons for the dementia but the most common one is Alzheimer’s disease which accounts up to about 50% of the cause of dementia. Then CT scanning is not to diagnose the disease but to find that whether it is treat-able or not. The article talks in detail about the dementia and what are the instances when it can be reversible and only in those circumstances should CT scanning are used. Some areas which should be looked upon are that does the patient have a history of family dementia. age again is an important factor which states that the older the patient is the lesser their chances of surviving dementia and the lesser their age is the more the chances they have of being treated for dementia. The statistics for the dementia can be as high as 20% which is an alarming rate. the article also