Digital Imaging Services

From time to time, patients are referred to a special subset of medical professionals known as radiologists. These specialized doctors are trained in conducting digital imaging tests and deciphering the results. Someone with a broken bone may need an x-ray, while another person with cancerous tumors may receive an MRI of the affected area. A pregnant woman may require ultrasound radiology to view her unborn baby and researchers may use a functional MRI to examine how a person’s brain is working after a recent stroke.

There are many types of imaging tests one might come across. One is body digital imaging, which involves everything from the neck down. Imaging technology includes CT scans, MRIs, x-rays, arthrographies and video imaging biopsies. A radiologist can look at the skeleton, the muscles and the blood vessels in the chest, abdomen and pelvis. Often suspected lung cancer patients will meet with a team of specialists to have these comprehensive tests performed to reach a diagnosis. Recent advances have made it possible for dermatologists to detect melanoma two years earlier than usual as well.

Another type of digital imaging is called Nuclear Medicine, which may require scans of the kidneys, lungs, bones, heart and brain. A radiologist can introduce small amounts of radioactive material into the body through radio-pharmaceutical drugs to identify abnormalities, disease progression and organ functioning. The primary uses of radiology nuclear testing are in cancer and thyroid disease assessment. In some cases, nuclear medicines may be administered to treat these diseases too because of radioactive materials’ unique ability to move directly to a localized area.

Digital imaging has been under fire in recent years, as legislators argue that way more scans are performed than are actually utilized by physicians. Some estimates suggest only 174/1,000 are needed in diagnosing and treating patients and that, more often than not, patients are sent into the CT or MRI machines just so greedy capitalists can make more money off Medicare. No doubt, scanning will be part of the national health care debate, but one can only hope that patient care is not compromised with the new reforms that are underway.

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