ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ON THE USE OR THE ABUSE OF CT-SCAN INVESTIGATIONS
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ON THE USE OR THE ABUSE OF CT-SCAN INVESTIGATIONS

Summary/Abstract: The imagistic investigations such as classical radiology, Computed Tomography (CT) examinations, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) are essential investigations for carrying out a diagnosis of accuracy, being indispensable to the practice of a medical act of quality. The CT type of investigation represented, one decade ago, a practice of the high medicine, becoming in present one of the usual techniques of investigation being often preferred instead of classical radiology. The advantages of this type of investigation are however expensive and also expose the patient to a high degree of irradiation. As it is not a routine investigation, it is not justified in all situations. The negative consequences of carrying out unnecessary investigations are reflected on the one hand on the sanitary system by the additional costs involved, and on the other hand on the patient, who is irradiated, with no existence of a real benefit for his health. In this article, the authors attempt: 1) to evaluate the dimension of the problematic excess of CT investigations on the basis of the analysis of a case, 2) to identify the main causes which lead to this excess, 3) pointing also possible negative consequences of the exaggerated use of these practices.

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