Computerized cranial tomography. Effect on diagnostic and therapeutic plans.
The effect of computerized cranial tomography (CCT) on physicians' diagnostic and therapeutic plans in 194 patients scanned consecutively during a 17-day period at the Massachusetts General Hospital was studied. Use of CCT substantially decreased the perceived need for other neurodiagnostic tests in this patient population. There was a reduction of a least 41% in radionuclide scans, 52% angiograms, and 73% in pneumoencephalograms compared to the needs projected had CCT not been available. Therapy was altered after 37 scans in 36 patients (19% of those examined): new treatment was begun after 15 scans, previously planned therapy became more precise after 9 scans, treatment was found to be unnecessary after 7 scans, and treatment was abandoned as worthless after 6 scans.
D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003933:Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts; D011011:Pneumoencephalography; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013812:Therapeutics; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States