title: The use and misuse of the CT scan of the brain.
abstract: Analysis of the results of 897 computerized tomographic (CT) scan examinations of the brain, performed on a wide range of patients over a one-year period was carried out to evaluate the use and possible misuse of the CT scan. During the one-year period, over one-half of the brain scans performed were normal and only 32.7% of CT scans demonstrated a reportable abnormality. The results show a general tendency to request CT scans demonstrated a reportable abnormality. The results show a general tendency to request CT scans on patients with little indication for this expensive investigation. This, in return, calls for steps to justify the use of the CT scan facility by means of a medical audit in order to reach optimum efficiency and significant cost effective savings for health institutions in the Kingdom.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurosurgery, Pediatrics, Radiology, King Fahd Hospital of the University, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Magbool
authors.forename: A Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: El-Hassen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Al-Shail