Variable Doses of Radiation Raise Safety Concerns for CT Procedures

Press releases may be edited for formatting or style | December 15, 2009

Compared to other imaging procedures, the median effective dose delivered through a single CT scan was as high as 74 mammograms or 442 chest x-rays, according to Smith-Bindman.

The researchers identified three key practices necessary to improve the safety of CT procedures and the associated radiation doses:

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* Reduction of unnecessary studies and studies thought unlikely to influence clinical decisions.
* Standardization and utilization of low-dose and lower-dose protocols for every CT scanner.
* Standardization of radiation doses across patients and facilities through federal legislation and FDA oversight stipulating how CTs are to be safely performed.

Smith-Bindman emphasized that further investigations into CT safety are a must. "It is imperative, particularly given these results, that we start collecting radiation dose data at the individual patient level. Our results point toward the need to start collecting data on what actually happens in clinical practice and then to establish the appropriate standards."

In addition to publication in the "Archives of Internal Medicine," Smith-Bindman will present the research findings at the 2010 spring meeting of the National Council of Radiation Protection in Washington, DC.

Study co-authors are Jafi Lipson, MD, and Robert Gould, ScD, UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging; Kwang Pyo Kim, PhD, Kyung Hee University in Korea; Mahadevappa Mahesh, MS, PhD, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Amy Berrington de Gonzalez, DPhil, National Cancer Institute; and Diana L. Miglioretti, PhD, Group Health Research Institute, Seattle.

The study was funded by the NIH National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and BioEngineering, NIH National Cancer Institute, and the UCSF School of Medicine.

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. For further information, please visit http://www.ucsf.edu.

Source: UCSF

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