KATHMANDU, MAY 03
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Chief Dr Randeep Guleria on Monday warned against patients rushing for CT scan in cases of mild COVID-19.
Dr Guleria said that more and more people are opting to go for CT scan even in mild cases is not advisable as it may do more harm than good and that misuse of CT scans and biomarkers may cause damage in the long term health of the patients.
PTI quoted Dr Guleria as saying that one CT scan is equivalent to 300 to 400 chest x-rays. It further reported that repeated CT scans in younger age groups increase the risk of cancer in later life.
According to Dr Guleria, there is no point in doing CT scan in mild COVID-19 if the oxygen saturation is normal. "CT scan should be done in cases of moderate disease, when hospitalised. And if there is any doubt, one should opt for a chest x-ray, Dr Guleria shared."
Dr Guleria further said that in moderate illnesses, three types of treatment--oxygen therapy, steroids and anticoagulants--are effective and are the main treatment strategy for COVID-19.
