P Vock1. 1. Institut für Diagnostische Radiologie der Universität Bern, Germany.
Abstract
QUESTION: Does radiation exposure in pediatric CT require a specific action? METHODS: Review of the recent literature. RESULTS: Increasing medical applications and numbers of examinations coupled with a significant individual radiation exposure have increased the CT contribution to medical exposure to around 38-60%. An up to 10-fold increase in radiation sensitivity of small children, their longer life expectancy and an overdose due to protocols copied from adult patients are the factors responsible for a small but significant excess of cancer mortality over lifetime. Strict referral and use of the many technical and medical ways of reducing exposure help reduce exposure. CONCLUSION: Realizing the problem of pediatric CT-exposure is as important as analyzing and reducing the causes of biologic impact by CT.
QUESTION: Does radiation exposure in pediatric CT require a specific action? METHODS: Review of the recent literature. RESULTS: Increasing medical applications and numbers of examinations coupled with a significant individual radiation exposure have increased the CT contribution to medical exposure to around 38-60%. An up to 10-fold increase in radiation sensitivity of small children, their longer life expectancy and an overdose due to protocols copied from adult patients are the factors responsible for a small but significant excess of cancer mortality over lifetime. Strict referral and use of the many technical and medical ways of reducing exposure help reduce exposure. CONCLUSION: Realizing the problem of pediatric CT-exposure is as important as analyzing and reducing the causes of biologic impact by CT.
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