Kennebec Region Health Alliance

December, 2016
Author: Dr. Paul Gagliardi

Basic approach to using Imaging exams:

Do: Establish what you need to know. Make a presumptive diagnosis or ask a specific question.
Do: Consider what is likely vs. what is possible. Establish a ball-park pre-test probability.
Do: Choose an exam that can answer your question.
Do: Think about what you will do with the results; expected, unexpected, or incidental.
Don’t: Embark on an elaborate sightseeing tour of the patient’s internal anatomy.
Be Aware: Diagnostic wild goose chases can lead to bad clinical decisions that may harm patients!