CT Radiation Protection
A 22-year-old, pregnant female has been admitted to the emergency room for shortness of breath and chest pain. The patient has a history of pulmonary embolisms (PE) and had a high level D dimer level at her last office visit four (4) weeks ago. The physician has now ordered a chest CT to evaluate for a PE. You have completed the CT pre-scan questionnaire and you have discussed the risks of the exam. The patient is 24 weeks pregnant and the benefits of the exam outweighs the risks. Explain the risks and benefits of the CT scan for a pregnant patient. Explain how you will protect the patient and the fetus from the radiation exposure. Research and explain potential alternative exams to evaluate for pulmonary embolisms. Provide APA formatted in-text citations and reference page to demonstrate researched paraphrase and quoted material.