CT scan usage raises concerns

The use of CT scans in hospital emergency rooms has risen 16% a year since 1995, raising questions about unnecessary radiation exposure and how healthcare costs can be contained against such fervent use of technology, notes Los Angels Times.

In a study released in the journal 'Radiology', researchers found use of CT - computed tomography - procedures increased from 2.7 million nationwide in 1995 to 16.2 million in 2007. The study joins several recent reports showing that the use of sophisticated imaging technology, and the cost associated with it, has grown rapidly.

Meanwhile, little research has been done to show if increased CT scanning, which uses a focused beam of X-rays to provide a well-defined, cross-section view of soft tissues, has benefited patients.

Auckland-based Panda Visuals has taken a big step away from its screen printing roots with three new HP Scitex printers, states ProPrint.

The company has also changed its name from Panda Graphic Imaging to Panda Visuals to reflect changes in its client base and capabilities, according to co-director Rajan Naicker.

"We started as a wholesale screen printing company, but today our client base comprises mainly advertising agencies and corporate customers," he says.

Boomer's has been a name synonymous with printing in Lincoln for more than 90 years, writes the Journal Star.

But the name will soon disappear after Boomer's Printing agreed to merge with Cornerstone Printing & Imaging, the two companies revealed.

Financial terms were not disclosed but Harold Klein, who owns Boomer's, will become a co-owner of the new company, which will operate under the Cornerstone name and out of Cornerstone's offices.