Antinuclear

Medical specialists warn against overuse of whole body CT scanning

Study: ED CT protocol linked with excess rad exposure Cardioavascular Business 28 Feb 12, The introduction of a whole-body panscan CT protocol for blunt trauma in the emergency department (ED) raised the proportion of patients exposed to more than 20 mSv of radiation by 8 percent, according to a study published in the February issue of Emergency Medicine Australasia.

Given the increasing use of whole-body CT scans, coupled with heightened concerns about radiation exposure, Stephen Asha, MD, of the emergency department at St. George Hospital in Sydney, Australia, and colleagues sought to measure the proportion of patients exposed to radiation dose in excess of 20 mSv before and after the introduction of a panscan protocol for blunt trauma. The researchers also aimed to quantify missed injuries before and after the introduction of the
protocol…

..It is not clear that this increased risk of exposure to a higher radiation dose was offset by a clinical benefit,” Asha et al
wrote…. The researchers concluded by emphasizing that the increased risk of exposure to a radiation dose in excess of 20 mSv was similar regardless of age or injury severity. http://www.cardiovascularbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_articles&view=article&id=32290:study-ed-ct-protocol-linked-with-excess-rad-exposure

February 29, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, health