Pediatric X-Ray Information

CT, or Cat Scans, are a very important tool for physicians to use when diagnosing children. This is however, a two edged sword. Children are at a greater risk because they a longer life span to get a radiation related cancer. Fortunatley, there are ways to reduce radiation to children when they are sent for examinations. The National Cancer Institute recommend several steps for reducing radiation dosage to patients.
The First Step: Only Ct examinations that are very necessary should be performed. Pediatricians and Radiologists should speak together regarding the use of CT as opposed to other modalities that would not require radiation.
The Second Step: IF CT is the preferred route, then exposure settings should be adjusted accordingly so as to optimize the study and Minimize radiation exposure. This can be done by: a) Limit the area to be scanned to the smallest possible area.
b) Adjust the MA settings for the organ area to be scanned, ie..lower MA settings for bone and lung fields.
c) Adjust the technique for the child's size and weight.
d)Determine the correct scan resolution( lower resolution may be ok for some diagnostic purposed )
Physicians should be extremely vigilant when ordering CT examinations for children. They should refrain from ordering multiple scans for contrast enhancement.
Speaking with the Radiologist or the CT Technologist can help to minimize unnecessary exams and radiation dosage.
A recent study found that from 1991 to 2002 there had been a 4 fold increase in the number of CT examinations ordered. It also found that the cumulative dose per patient had doubled during that time frame. While this should not be alarming to us, it should definitley be an alert. It is too easy to go to the physician stating such and such a problem & that you want a Cat Scan for it. Most physicians go along with the patient a good percentage of the time because patients will just go somewhere else to get it done. The important thing to remember is that the physician is trained, highly trained, to diagnose and treat his patients. There are many ways to diagnose problems, and CT is but one of those methods. Point being, IF your Dr. wants to start out with blood work, or an Ultrasound exam, then go with that. Anytime you can find the cause with an invasive test or without radiation exposure, by all means, Go for it! This is true with adults and even more so with children.

This information was taken from an ASRT article/ October 2007/Patient Dose From CT