A new diagnostic test to detect pulmonary embolism (a blockage of the main artery of the lung) misses fewer clots, but seems to result in overdiagnosis, warn experts on bmj.com. The introduction of CT pulmonary angiography has been associated with an 80% rise in the detection of pulmonary emboli in the US, but with little change in death rates. Professor Renda Soylemez Wiener and colleagues argue this is evidence of overdiagnosis. They say some patients are helped, but many are harmed by the adverse effects of unnecessary treatment...
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