Gross, "Mattox to participate in study"

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Dr. Mattox makes a most excellent and crucial point:
>
>    In
> my view, NO CT  should ever be ordered unless there is a clear  
> indication as
> to what the person  ordering the tests expects to learn, and how that
> additional new knowledge, over  and above the existing and original  
> plane x-ray
> demonstrated, will alter  decision making and treatment.   If such a  
> progress
> note were required  for the reflexly applied ordering of CT scans, I  
> do
> believe that over 75% of all  current CT scans and CTAs, etc. would  
> be stopped
> over  night.
>
> k
>
Just change "test" for "CT" and it should be a universal medical  
truth. Every clinician should at least go through the disciplined  
intellectual work of this before ordering any test. The only pearl I  
have to offer young docs is perhaps the corollary: Never order a test  
you don't want to know the answer to.

So much pain would be avoided.

Rob Smith

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