A patient with a long history of hypertension and diabetes now develops confusion. The health care provider wants to make a differential diagnosis between Alzheimer's disease or multiple infarcts
Which diagnostic procedure should the nurse expect to prepare the patient for first? a. PET
b. Skull x-rays
c. Computed tomography (CT) scan
d. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
C
A CT scan shows the presence or absence of structural changes, including cortical atrophy, ventricular enlargement, and areas of infarct, information that would be helpful to the health care provider. PET and SPECT show brain activity rather than structure and may be completed later.
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