Many patients cannot get hospitals tests carried out on them because they are too fat to fit into scanners, according to a new study, More and more patients are missing out on necessary medical treatment due to their obesity, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found. Tests cannot be carried out properly on many obese patients because either they cannot fit into the equipment or the x-rays or ultrasound waves cannot penetrate all their body fat. The researchers looked at all radiology records from tests done at the hospital between 1989 and 2003 to single out tests which were hindered due to patient size. They found that the percentage of these hindered tests nearly doubled between 1989 and 2003. When x-rays or scans cannot be delivered due to the amount of body fat on the patient, there is the option of increasing the dose of radiation but this carries obvious health risks. The study found that abdominal ultrasounds were the most difficult to perform on obese patients. It was also reported that 83% hospital technologists who had to move obese patients on and off imaging tables suffered some pain while moving those being tested. […]