The FDA updated its website last week, indicating it has received reports of “adverse effects” related to interference between CT and three types of medical devices: insulin pumps, cardiac implantable electronic devices (such as pacemakers), and neurostimulators.
The update included notes to both patients and healthcare providers.
“Patients: Physicians recommend CT scans for medical reasons,” the update read. “The probability of an adverse event is extremely low.”
The note for providers emphasized that the devices in question should not stop anyone from getting an appropriate CT scan.
“CT irradiation is extremely low, and it is greatly outweighed by the clinical benefit of a medically indicated CT examination,” the update read.
The FDA recommends that patients or providers wishing to report a problem use the MedWatch reporting program.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.