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Which of the following
are types of diagnostic imaging exams? CT, PET, LRQ, MRI, or IGP? It’s
hard to know for sure, isn’t it? And even if you do know, what are all
of these exams and when should your doctor order them?
Why Everyone Should Know How
to Decode the Diagnostic Soup
Being acquainted with
the various types of diagnostic imaging is an important part of taking
charge of your own health. Diagnostic imaging refers to a variety of
methods by which your doctor can examine what is happening inside your
body and actually see your organs functioning without performing
surgery. Your doctor orders the best exam for your medical situation.
But you and your doctor are a team in your health care and, when you are
informed, you can help your doctor ensure that the care you are
receiving is what is best for you.
Your Diagnostic Decoder
The first type of
diagnostic imaging was in the form of x-rays. For more than one hundred
years, x-rays have allowed doctors to see what is happening inside a
patient’s body. X-rays let them see bones, joints, and organs like the
heart and lungs that they would otherwise only be able to see through
surgery.
Today, in addition to
x-rays, there is a seemingly endless list of diagnostic imaging exams.
It helps to be familiar with each of them and what they are used for so
you can work with your doctor to ensure the exam that is ordered is the
best exam for you:
Angiography
Angiography is used to
see problems in organs like your heart and your brain.
CT (or “CAT”) Scan
A CT (or “CAT”)
scan allows your doctor to see specific areas of your body from angles
she would be unable to achieve with a regular x-ray. A CT is also more
specific than an x-ray, creating images that are like thin “slices” of
your body.
Cardiac Catheterization
A cardiac
catheterization is a type of x-ray exam that shows your doctor how your
heart works for a period of time. It is like a short movie of your heart
that allows your doctor to see if anything is wrong.
Fluoroscopy
Fluoroscopy is like a
cardiac catheterization, but can be used to see various organs in the
body.
Mammogram
Mammograms provide
doctors with information about something that might not be normal inside
a patient’s breast. Most doctors recommend that women forty and older
receive a mammogram each year to detect early signs of breast cancer or
other problems.
MRI
An MRI is used to
examine the heart, joints, lungs, and brain. It is also used to detect
cancer and to help plan cancer treatment.
PET
PET scans have a number
of uses, but they are most often used to check for cancer and to check
on cancer treatments.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is often
used to look at a baby before it’s born. Ultrasound also allows your
doctor to see organs like your heart, liver, kidney, and bladder.
Now That You’ve Broken the
Code
Understanding what the various
types of imaging exams are and why they are used can help put you at
ease when your doctor orders one for you. It’s comforting to have some
knowledge of what is happening to your body. This knowledge can also
help you begin a dialogue with your doctor about her plan for your
health care.
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