CAT scans vs MRI scans

[SupDock]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

I'm too lazy to remote in to work to check UpToDate right now. Does that article list the negative predictive value of US? Just curious.

Just checked. Went to the source article and it wasn’t in the abstract.

I brief lit review indicates 60-80 percent negative predictive value.

My opinion is that even with a higher negative predictive value you are still left with no diagnosis.

I am thinking of a patient in the ED with flank pain and hematuria. CT just makes more sense to me.

Your point about cumulative radiation exposure is a good one though. A major bias in medicine is worrying more about a missed diagnosis than the risk of the test or procedure.