Published in:
01-02-2019 | Editorial
Striking a balance in the discussion of the benefits of imaging tests and risks of radiation exposure
Authors:
Randall C. Thompson, MD, FASNC, Prem Soman, MD, PhD, FASNC
Published in:
Journal of Nuclear Cardiology
|
Issue 1/2019
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Excerpt
Diagnostic testing from ionizing radiation is an integral part of the practice of medicine. The therapeutic advances and substantial improvement in the care of patients with cardiovascular diseases would not be possible without the concomitant advances in cardiovascular imaging that have occurred. Indeed, the testing that we perform can be lifesaving, although indirectly. This point is sometimes forgotten in the consideration of risks and benefits. In the case of heart disease, there has been a dramatic improvement in patient outcome.
1 It is hard to imagine that this would have occurred without accurate diagnostic testing. …