3 ms·

> And they are time-consuming, costly, and harmful (they use radiation!) To put things in perspective, I got a CT in China, and the imaging took less than 5 mi

> And they are time-consuming, costly, and harmful (they use radiation!) To put things in perspective, I got a CT in China, and the imaging took less than 5 minutes, and cost $35 (just the machine, not reading). The radiation is less than the increased radiation than taking a flight to China. While your perspective is probably accurate for the US, if you step back and think, it is no more complicated than getting grade school photos.

projektfu 7y ago
By my math, a chest CT is about 10x the dose from a flight. However, there is no “safe” level of ionizing radiation. There is only acceptable and unacceptable risk.
- klipt 7y ago
  Right, one CT scan increases your lifetime risk of cancer 0.1%: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-much-ct-scans-increase-risk-cancer/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-much-ct-scans... Which isn't much for one person, but if you're CT scanning thousands of people, on average that's an extra case of cancer per thousand scanned. The PCR test is probably more accurate and in the US, maybe even cheaper? Although it probably does have higher latency.
- jcampbell1 7y ago
  A lung CT can be done at about 1/5th the radiation dose of a chest CT. The future will decide if we took the correct risk with extremely limited testing in the early stages. In my experience, “not my job” , “too much risk”, and “need more data to make a decision“ is the default attitude in the medical profession. People choose that career because it is safe, and very few doctors have military experience these days. That being said, people adjust to a new reality very quickly.
  - projektfu 7y ago
    By the time pneumonia has occurred it’s too late for screening. This isn’t replacing rtPCR for people who are coughing.
roywiggins 7y ago
Keeping everyone safe and antiseptic while you move a possibly COVID patient in and out of a CT scan will make the whole thing way more complicated and slow.

projektfu 7y ago

By my math, a chest CT is about 10x the dose from a flight. However, there is no “safe” level of ionizing radiation. There is only acceptable and unacceptable risk.

klipt 7y ago
Right, one CT scan increases your lifetime risk of cancer 0.1%: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-much-ct-scans-increase-risk-cancer/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-much-ct-scans... Which isn't much for one person, but if you're CT scanning thousands of people, on average that's an extra case of cancer per thousand scanned. The PCR test is probably more accurate and in the US, maybe even cheaper? Although it probably does have higher latency.
jcampbell1 7y ago
A lung CT can be done at about 1/5th the radiation dose of a chest CT. The future will decide if we took the correct risk with extremely limited testing in the early stages. In my experience, “not my job” , “too much risk”, and “need more data to make a decision“ is the default attitude in the medical profession. People choose that career because it is safe, and very few doctors have military experience these days. That being said, people adjust to a new reality very quickly.
- projektfu 7y ago
  By the time pneumonia has occurred it’s too late for screening. This isn’t replacing rtPCR for people who are coughing.

roywiggins 7y ago

Keeping everyone safe and antiseptic while you move a possibly COVID patient in and out of a CT scan will make the whole thing way more complicated and slow.