Hacker News Reader

Comment by j8hn | Hacker News Reader

Why is there such a big difference in patient price between a CT and MRI scan?

My doctor told me to have a CT scan done but I am worried about the radiation. I feel that if an MRI was cheaper, then I would have been prescribed an MRI.

View on HN

The MRI scanner requires more precautions and safeguards (being built around a 1+ tesla magnet), and acquiring images takes more time, thus more human resources.

Edit: to illustrate ris' point (the sibling comment), check this XKCD chart, linked in the article: http://xkcd.com/radiation/

The equipment and maintenance is much more expensive for MRI. The liquid helium bill alone for an MRI machine is not something you want to pay for.

Ask them about the radiation dose in banana-equivalent, then be less worried.

You're confusing CT scans with conventional x-ray images. CT scans deliver the radiation equivalent of hundreds of conventional x-ray images. The radiation dose is high enough to epidemiologically significant (meaning higher cancer rates in people who have been scanned, especially children).

Believe me, I'm not confusing them - I just think it's significantly less risky than the parent does. And yes, there can be higher cancer rates in people who have a _lot_ of CT scans done e.g. because of a serious illness.

I'd rather get that back to me as a percentage compared to a Phone Booth filled with nuclear waste (but only 75% of the way up) while standing 13.43 meters away with the humidity levels at 95%.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com