“Literally….”

I think we can drop any pretense about the judicious use of imaging in medicine. It’s a lost cause. My radiology friends and I have a running exchange of the myriad absurd reasons for doing CTA’s (= CT angiography). It all distills down to the hypothetical clinical scenario of “itching out of proportion to dandruff.” These days a semi-skilled triage “provider” in the ER only need decide which half of the body to image. The expedient catch-all test that requires almost no skill or thought to request. Just touch the proverbial light-pen to the screen. It is the diagnostic euivalent of a hand-grenade. Something A.I. can order-up in a nanosecond, yet we are the ones supposedly being replaced. I’ve got news for you — that’s not even close to happening. I challenge A.I. to a neuroimaging duel anytime, anyplace. That’s a highly worthy discussion for another day. But soon the ER imaging options will be but three (before the performance of multiple MRI exams, that is): CTA-top half, CTA-lower half, or CTA-whole body. They literally cannot go to the cafeteria, make a phone call, or take a shit without first ordering a CTA exam.

Administrator: “Now, let’s talk about your report turn-around time (RTAT)….”