Are there alternative tests that don’t use radiation (such as brain MRI)?
Will the radiation dose in this exam be “child sized”?

“CT scans are a powerful tool to speed diagnosis of potentially life-threatening conditions, but not every situation calls for a CT scan. The tools available through this campaign help doctors and patients communicate the best course of action for a child’s condition and work together to ensure each child gets the best possible care,” said Charles Macias, MD MPH, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Emergency Medicine.

Imaging Providers – When performing imaging CT exams:

Optimize, or “child-size,” the amount of radiation used
Do not over-scan: Scan only when necessary. Scan only the indicated region. Scan once; multiphase scanning (pre-and post-contrast, delayed exams) is rarely helpful.
Be a team player: Involve medical physicists to review pediatric CT techniques. Involve technologists to optimize scanning.

“CT technologists are on the front lines of patient care and play a crucial role in making sure all patients receive the best care possible,” said Mike Latimer, M.S.R.S., R.T.(R), president of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists. “The Think A-Head campaign adds to the profession’s body of knowledge and offers significant resources to further improve patient care.”

“Medical physicists are key to ensuring that imaging equipment, especially CT, is installed and operates properly so that the appropriate dose can be delivered to ensure quality images are delivered to enable physicians to make the right diagnosis. This is important when imaging children. AAPM remains a firm supporter of the Image Gently campaign and believes that the "Think A-Head" campaign will make a difference in ensuring quality medical care for all patients especially children,” stated President-elect Melissa Martin, FAAPM, FACR, FACMP.

The Image Gently Alliance website contains the latest research and educational materials to aid radiologists, radiologic technologists, medical physicists and other imaging stakeholders in determining the appropriate radiation techniques to be used in the imaging of children and how the radiation received from these exams may affect pediatric patients over time. Health care providers are urged to visit the Image Gently site and pledge to do their part to image gently. Image Gently also offers resources for parents (imagegentlyparents.org) about pediatric imaging (including frequently asked questions).

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