Hospital’s rhinosinusitis scans are wasting taxpayers’ money

Thousands of euro are being spent unnecessarily at Mater Dei Hospital on scans for patients suffering from rhinosinusitis since the nasal condition can often be diagnosed through its symptoms, according to a study. Researchers Stephan Grech, Richard McKearney and Herman Borg-Xuereb looked into the cost to the health system from the use of X-rays and CT scans in managing rhinosinusitis – the inflammation of the nasal passages and sinus cavities. Symptoms include a blocked nose, nasal discharge and facial pain. The study, published in the Malta Medical Journal, found that in 2009 almost €104,000 were spent at the hospital on plain radiographs, or X-rays, that cost €77 each, and CT scans, that cost €350 each. “A proportion of this amount may have been spent unnecessarily. Judicious use of imaging requests while following clinical guidelines is required to save money and minimise patient exposure to ionising radiation,” the study concludes. It points out that CT scans expose patients to harmful radiation that are equivalent to that emitted by 55 chest X-rays. The researchers looked at the scans carried out at Mater Dei Hospital throughout a year: 205 CT scans and 113 plain...