Use of CT scans is increasing, raising questions

Use of CT scans in hospital emergency rooms has risen 16% a year since 1995, raising questions about unnecessary radiation exposure and how healthcare costs can be contained against such fervent use of technology.

In a study released Monday in the journal Radiology, researchers found use of CT — computed tomography — procedures increased from 2.7 million nationwide in 1995 to 16.2 million in 2007. The study joins several recent reports showing that the use of sophisticated imaging technology, and the cost associated with it, has grown rapidly.