Direct harms of diagnostic tests include which of the following?

• A. Radiation, contrast, complications
• B. Cost
• C. Time delay
• D. None

Answer: (A)

Direct harms are the immediate physical risks tied to performing a diagnostic test. This includes exposure to ionizing radiation from imaging like X-ray or CT, adverse reactions to contrast agents used to visualize tissues, and complications from the procedure itself such as bleeding, infection, or perforation. These harms arise from the test itself, not from what the test might diagnose or from downstream effects. Costs and time delays are indirect harms related to resources and logistics rather than bodily injury from the test. So the option listing radiation, contrast, and complications best reflects the direct risks of diagnostic testing.