The number of adults and children getting CT scans to diagnose appendicitis has shot up since the 1990s, a new study finds -- raising questions about whether the high-tech X-rays are being overused. In the past couple of decades, the number of Americans receiving CT (computed tomography) scans has soared, reaching 72 million in 2007. The high-resolution X-rays are used to diagnose specific injuries and illnesses, and, increasingly, to screen for disease.
