A systematic literature review of spiral and electron beam computed tomography: with particular reference to clinical applications in hepatic lesions, pulmonary embolus and coronary artery disease

Berry E, Kelly S, Hutton J, Harris K M, Roderick P, Boyce J C, Cullingworth J, Gathercole L, O'Connor P J, Smith M A
Record ID 31999009900
English
Authors' objectives:

The aim of this review was to identify publications relating to the use of spiral and electron beam computed tomography (CT), in order to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of latest generation CT devices. The Fineberg evaluative framework was used, with publications sought for all clinical applications at the levels of health economics, patient outcome and therapeutic impact. For diagnostic impact and diagnostic performance, specific clinical uses were selected: the investigation of liver lesions using spiral CT (SCT); the investigation of pulmonary embolism (PE) using SCT; and the diagnosis and prediction of coronary artery disease (CAD) using electron beam CT (EBCT).

Authors' recommendations: MEDLINE and BIDS-ISI are comprehensive sources of references in this subject area. There is no strong evidence about any aspect of the use of latest generation CT at the health economics, patient outcome or therapeutic impact levels. SCT detects liver lesions that are not seen with conventional CT. EBCT has a low specificity when applied to the diagnosis of symptomatic CAD. While the evidence suggests EBCT use for population studies, it does not support its use to track CAD progression in individuals. The introduction of SCT will not cause a significant increase in radiation dose compared with similar examinations performed with conventional CT.
Authors' methods: Systematic review
Details
Project Status: Completed
URL for project: http://www.hta.ac.uk/974
Year Published: 1999
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Not Assigned
Country: England, United Kingdom
MeSH Terms
  • Costs and Cost Analysis
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed
  • Coronary Disease
  • Liver Neoplasms
  • Pulmonary Embolism
Contact
Organisation Name: NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme
Contact Address: NIHR Journals Library, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre, Alpha House, University of Southampton Science Park, Southampton SO16 7NS, UK
Contact Name: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk
Contact Email: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk
Copyright: 2009 Queen's Printer and Controller of HMSO
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.