#SCANSMART – Safe CT Imaging

Why We Want to Reduce Undue Radiation Exposure

Computed tomography, known as CT imaging, is a valuable diagnostic tool with an estimated 60 million CT scans performed annually in the United States. But as use of CT has grown, the potential for increased radiation exposure to the estimated 7 million children annually undergoing these scans has become a public health concern.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the deleterious effects of ionizing radiation. Studies have documented that low-dose radiation in childhood carries a small but significant increase in the lifetime risk for fatal cancer. Children are particularly susceptible to the effects of radiation because of the rapidly dividing cells, as well as the fact that children have a longer lifetime during which radiation-related cancers may develop. Also, until recently, the radiation dosage of most CT scans performed were not adjusted for the smaller size of children, which is recommended by the American College of Radiology.

Minor head injuries occur commonly in children and adolescents, and approximately 50 percent of children who visit hospital emergency departments with a head injury are given a CT scan. Research shows CT scans are not necessary in the immediate evaluation of minor head injuries. By utilizing clinical observation and the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) criteria, physicians can determine whether imaging is appropriate, reducing unnecessary exposure to radiation.