CT Scans and Radiation Risks

AIIMS director Dr. Randeep Guleria has alerted the public about the risks of unnecessary CT scans by a patio with mild COVID-19 symptoms. He said it risks exposure to radiation equivalent to 300-400 chest X-rays and may escalate into a risk of cancer. He advised people to go for chest scans and to consult their doctors before going for chest scans.

Computed tomography scans are a tool that creates images of structures inside your body which helps doctors get a look at your internal organs and then advise further treatment. A CT scan exposes your body to some radiation that involves an amount of risk.

Moreover, CT scans are not worth the risk. They cannot accurately identify COVID-19 (against other respiratory infections), and imaging findings are not specific enough to confirm COVID-19. They can only point to signs of the infection. Mild cases of COVID-19 do not show up in CT scans sometimes. This could falsely convince the patient said that healthy I am there at a greater risk of unknowingly spreading the virus to others.

CT scanners are complex and expensive pieces of machinery, which need to be thoroughly cleaned between tests. There is still a chance of the virus remaining on any surface, becoming a serious hazard for healthcare providers and other patients. There is a risk of spreading the virus inside of healthcare facilities while transporting COVID-19 patients to and from CT scanners, which are usually located in separate wings. Vulnerable patients who require the imaging tests would not be able to use the CT scans due to low availability.

Research from Harvard Health, Yale School of Medicine, and National Cancer Institute US back Guleria’s warnings.

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