CT delivers a substantially higher radiation dose than conventional radiography; it should therefore be used judiciously.
CT of the brain should be the initial radiographic modality in evaluating a pt with a potential stroke.
Is highly sensitive for diagnosing an acute subarachnoid hemorrhage and, in the acute setting, is more sensitive than MRI.
CT of the brain is an essential test in evaluating a pt with mental status changes to exclude entities such as intracranial bleeding, mass effect, subdural or epidural hematomas, and hydrocephalus.
Is better than MRI for evaluating osseous lesions of the skull and spine.
CT of the chest should be considered in the evaluation of a pt with chest pain to rule out entities such as pulmonary embolus or aortic dissection.
CT of the chest is effective for evaluating lung nodules to assess for the presence of thoracic lymphadenopathy.
CT, with high-resolution cuts through the lungs, is the imaging modality of choice for evaluating the lung interstitium in a pt with interstitial lung disease.
Evaluates for the presence of pleural and pericardial fluid and to localize loculated effusions.
Useful in a pt with unexplained abdominal pain to evaluate for conditions such as appendicitis, mesenteric ischemia or infarction, diverticulitis, or pancreatitis.
CT of the abdomen is also the test of choice for evaluating for nephrolithiasis in a pt with renal colic.
Evaluates the presence of an abscess in the chest or abdomen.
Helps identify the cause of bowel obstruction.
Identifies abdominal conditions such as intussusception and volvulus in a pt with abdominal pain.
Effective for evaluating the retroperitoneum.
Should be obtained expeditiously in a pt with abdominal trauma to evaluate for the presence of intraabdominal hemorrhage and to assess injury to abdominal organs.