Diagnostic imaging is a non-invasive medical imaging used to diagnose diseases. It includes ultrasound, MRI, X-rays, and PET scans. It helps medical professionals to develop a treatment plan by revealing tumors, circulatory problems, and broken bones.
Diagnostic imaging is a form of medical imaging performed with the intention of diagnosing disease, as opposed to medical imaging conducted to monitor the progress of a disease or to guide a medical procedure. Many people get this type of imaging at some point in their lives; an x-ray to confirm a broken limb, for example, is a diagnostic test. The goal is to gather more information about the specifics of the patient’s condition, hoping to come to a conclusion about what condition the patient has and how it might be treated.
There are several types of diagnostic imaging, each of which can be used for a variety of conditions. Some are minimally invasive and only require the patient to remain still. Others are more invasive, involving the ingestion of various substances or the use of imaging devices internally. In all cases, when an imaging study is ordered to diagnose a problem, the procedure is usually explained to the patient so he knows what to expect.
Some examples of minimally invasive studies include ultrasound, in which the body is bombarded with high-frequency sound waves to create an image of its interior, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in which the body’s internal structures are viewed with l use of large magnetic field. The body can also be bombarded with X-rays to generate an image which can be recorded on special film.
In some cases, patients may be asked to ingest a substance such as barium, which makes the digestive tract more visible on an X-ray, or to have an injection of a radioactive isotope for a procedure such as a positron emission tomography scan ( PET), in which the radiation emitted by the isotope can be used to monitor its progress through the body. Cameras and transducers can also be introduced into the body through the esophagus or intestinal tract.
A wide variety of medical fields rely on diagnostic imaging to get an image of the inside of the body without actually opening the body. Imaging studies can reveal things like tumors, circulatory problems, and broken bones, allowing medical professionals to use this information in developing a treatment plan. Imaging is often combined with blood tests, urinalysis, and other diagnostic techniques that provide more information about a patient’s condition. This form of minimally invasive diagnosis is usually much better for patients than exploratory surgery, which is the only other way to see what’s going on inside the body.
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