MN Report
KARACHI – Civil Hospital Karachi has acquired the most widely used and most thoroughly studied bone density measurement technology, called dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA, previously DEXA).
The DXA whereby BMD (bone mineral density) could be measured has been brought to the CHK from the United States under public-private partnership programme and the same will become operational at the health facility in a couple of days.
The DXA scan is typically used to diagnose and follow osteoporosis, as contrast to the nuclear bone scan, which is sensitive to certain metabolic diseases of bones in which bones are attempting to heal from infections, fractures, or tumors.
Senior RMO of CHK’s Radiology department, Dr Aijaz A Zubedi, told Medical News that DXA scan is a quick and painless procedure usually carried out by experts to diagnose bone-related diseases.
“With the induction of Dexa scan, a number of diseases such as osteoporosis, bone cancer and risk of bone fractures will be detected,” he said, adding that osteoporosis cases are more common in women as compared to men in our society.
Dr Zubedi said that a DXA scan usually takes around five minutes, depending which part of the body is being scanned. He said timely and correct diagnosis with the help of DXA scan will be helpful in managing patients with bone diseases.
Paramedical staff was currently being trained for handling this latest machine and the DXA scan facility will be provided free of cost, he added.