Technology Slice

CT Scans Have Dangerous Radiation

CT Scans Have Dangerous Radiation – Australian CT scans have been found to generate up to a third more radiation than necessary to yield a clear diagnostic image, needlessly exposing patients to an increased risk of cancer.

The findings have emerged amid concerns about the growth in referrals for CT scans and as radiation safety experts and radiologists prepare a national monitoring scheme to keep radiation doses to the minimum necessary.

A pilot program aimed at optimising the radiation patients were exposed to in 10 Queensland hospitals found that radiation doses could be reduced by up to 32 per cent in a range of common CT scans while maintaining the quality of the diagnostic image. A similar project is under way in Victoria and a national scheme is being developed to provide radiology practices with a ”diagnostic reference level” to compare their radiation dose rates with other practices.

Tags: cancer, Ct Scans, Dangerous Radiation, Diagnostic Reference, Exposed, Hospitals, National Scheme, Pilot Program, Queensland, Radiation Dose, Radiation Doses, Radiation Safety, Radiology Practices, Reference Level, Referrals, risk, Safety Experts, Similar Project, victoria
Posted in Health