PHILADELPHIA -- There are some medical treatments the experts say you don't need. As medical costs soar, a coalition of top doctors has released a list of common procedures they say are wasteful and sometimes harmful.
Seventeen leading medical specialty societies are behind the "Choosing Wisely" campaign to cut down on needless medicine.
Among their latest warnings:
-Don't give cough and cold medicine to children younger than four.
They don't help kids much and could cause serious side effects
-Don't routinely give CT scans to children with minor head injuries.
It exposes them to needless radiation
-Don't do annual pap tests on woman 30-65 years of age.
For most women, testing every three years works as well
-Don't rush to do x-rays or imaging for lower back pain.
Most patients feel better in about a month without the tests
-Don't induce labor or do c-sections before 39 weeks of pregnancy unless medically necessary.
Respiratory problems and learning disabilities may result in newborns.
You can get the complete list of questionable medical procedures on choosingwisely.org.
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