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TUESDAY, July 29, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- Children having computed tomography (CT) scans are subjected to less radiation by using a technique that tailors the radiation dose to the size of the individual child.
That finding comes in a study in the August issue of Radiology.
Researchers at the University of California-Davis studied CT images taken of different-sized children to determine the lowest radiation doses that could be used without the loss of image quality. Using that information, the researchers developed charts that offer guidance for technicians performing head and body CT scans on children.
"The purpose of our research was to provide the technologists who run CT scanners with a precise recipe for lowering the radiation dose levels for pediatric patients by matching radiation to body size, while still delivering a high-quality CT scan," study author John M. Boone, a professor of radiology and bioengineering, says in a news release.
He and his colleagues determined that abdominal CT radiation doses can be reduced by 80 percent from the standard adult level for children with a 5-inch abdominal diameter and by 9 percent for children with a 10-inch abdominal diameter.
A child's size can be determined by wrapping a measuring tape around the body part to be scanned or by using software measurement tools available on the CT computer.
Using the dose reductions outlined in the study would result in a population dose reduction of 77 percent in an evenly distributed population between 0 and 14 years of age, the study says.
Boone recommends parents of small children ask CT scanner operators if measures are being taken to reduce the radiation dose.
More information
Here's where you can learn more about CT scans.
