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[Effect of diagnostic imaging on pre-mortem diagnostic reliability]
J Schölmerich1, H Becher, W Witzig
1Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin, Universität Regensburg.
Medizinische Klinik (Munich, Germany : 1983)
|July 15, 1997
Summary
The use of advanced diagnostic tools like endoscopy and CT scans increased significantly between 1972 and 1984. However, this led to only a modest improvement in premortal diagnosis of abdominal abnormalities.
Area of Science:
- Medical diagnostics
- Pathology
- Radiology
Context:
- The period 1972-1984 saw rapid advancements in medical imaging technologies.
- Endoscopy, sonography, and computed tomography (CT) became more widely adopted.
- Autopsy data from 1972, 1977, 1981, and 1984 were analyzed.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the impact of new diagnostic technologies on premortal diagnosis accuracy.
- To assess the change in the application of diagnostic techniques over time.
- To correlate diagnostic tool usage with autopsy findings.
Summary:
- The number of diagnostic techniques per patient increased from 0.83 to 2.12 between 1972 and 1984.
- Premortal detection of abdominal abnormalities rose from 16.8% to 32.5%.
- Improved diagnosis of liver and gallbladder issues contributed most to this rise, though often with minor clinical relevance.
Impact:
- Despite increased use of diagnostic tools, the overall gain in premortal diagnostic accuracy was limited.
- The study highlights a significant cost associated with these advanced diagnostic methods.
- This suggests a need to critically assess the cost-effectiveness of diagnostic technology adoption.