Diagnostic imaging may sound like some unfamiliar, complex medical procedure, but that is hardly the case – in fact, most people, especially those in urban, developed areas, have probably undergone diagnostic imaging at least once in their lives.
Many imaging procedures, like chest x-rays, are non-invasive, quick and painless, while others may involve you lying still inside the imaging machine for a long time, like MRI scans. Still, others involve minimal radiation exposure, like CT scans, while others, such as a colonoscopy, may require a small camera, called a ‘scope’, to be inserted into your body.
However, there are still many myths and misconceptions surrounding diagnostic imaging that do more harm than help the Filipino community in staying healthy.
An x-ray is a high-frequency radiation wave that can pass through clothes, body tissue, organs and muscles. However, there is a certain density it cannot penetrate through – our bone. While x-rays do use radiation, the dose is so small, it does not even linger on your body after the procedure.
Ultrasounds are commonly used during pregnancies to observe the normal growth of a fetus inside the mother’s womb. That does not mean that ultrasound imaging cannot be used to help in diagnosing other things. That is because ultrasound imaging uses high-frequency sound waves to form an image of a person’s internal structure. Doctors will often perform ultrasound imaging to check the condition of a person’s organs, such as their heart, liver, or kidneys.
While there are diagnostic imaging procedures that use radiation, there are also many that don’t – ultrasounds being one of them. Another imaging procedure that does not use radiation is MRI scanning. Short for Magnetic Resonance Scanning, MRIs use magnetic fields and radio frequency signals to create an image of a patient’s internal structure. MRIs are a common alternative to patients who may have an adverse reaction to the radiation from CT scans.
New World Diagnostics, Inc. (NWDI) aims to make diagnostic imaging accessible to all Filipinos, offering procedures such as X-rays, Ultrasound Imaging for general, obstetric, or vascular purposes, Mammography, and Bone Densitometry. They also offer cardiac and pulmonary imaging services, like Electrocardiography (ECG), Stress Test and Pulmonary Function Test (PFT). CT Scans are also available at their premium medical branches.
“Our clinics offer a wide array of out-patient diagnostic and imaging services,” said Ms. Maria Estella Diokno, Vice President and COO of the company. “We are committed to providing quality, patient-centered care, as well as convenience, to everyone who chooses to have their tests done at NWDI.”
