CT vs MRI vs X-Ray Introduction There are various imaging techniques x-ray technologist can perform help the doctor diagnose or treat patients. Choosing the most appropriate one will help in the recovery of the patient. Each technique comes with its advantages and disadvantages. Before the patient is given an order to have any one of them performed the doctor will evaluate the patient and their condition. Most patients know that radiation is not good for their bodies because studies show that people who are exposed to a lot of radiation in their lifetime are more susceptible of acquiring cancer. CT scans and X-rays use radiation to obtain an image, whereas an MRI utilizes radio waves instead. With that in mind, why don’t doctors use MRIs in …show more content…
On October 1st of 1971 the first CT scan of the brain was taken at Atkinson Morley’s Hospital in London, England. A female patient whose Dr. suspected she had a frontal lobe tumor was scanned for the first time. That image took about 5 minutes to produce compared with today’s scanners which take a mere 0.3 seconds. A couple of years later in 1973 the Mayo Clinic scanned the first patient in the United States. Then in 1975 the same team introduced another breakthrough technology in the field of medicine, the body scanner. In that same year it was brought over to the United States, by then images were being produced in 20 seconds …show more content…
This type of imaging technique is safer for patients because it does not use ionizing radiation, instead it uses radio waves, a magnetic field and a computer to create detail pictures of the inside of a patient’s body. However there are a few drawbacks with MRIs. First the speed at which the pictures are obtained are much slower than CT. An MRI procedure can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the complexity of the exam and the section of the body that is being viewed. On the other hand a CT scan can take only minutes to finish a full procedure. Another disadvantage of an MRI is the narrowness of the tube making a large number of patients who suffer from claustrophobia very anxious. Whereas a CT machine its tube is much wider and not as enclosed. According to the website Medlineplus.gov patients with the following should not obtain an MRI; “artificial heart valves brain aneurysm clips, heart defibrillator or pacemaker, inner ear (cochlear) implants, kidney disease or dialysis (you may not be able to receive contrast), recently placed artificial joints, vascular stents, or worked with sheet metal in the past (you may need tests to check for metal pieces in your eyes)”. This is because of the strong magnets that are located inside the MRI machine which can make “metal objects move, as well as get hot, and electrical currents can be