Large differences in radiation doses used for computed tomography (CT) scans are due to how the scanners are being used by medical staff rather than differences in the scanned patients or the machines used, found new study published in The BMJ.
Computed tomography (CT) scanning creates detailed pictures of areas inside the body to help diagnose a range of conditions. But CT radiation is associated with an increased risk of cancer, so it is important to minimise exposure and reduce unnecessary variation.
Computed Tomography
Computed Tomography (CT) scan is a type of medical examination that uses X-rays and computer processing to create sectional images of the body to provide more efficient results than X-rays.
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‘Large variation in doses mainly due to how scanners are used by medical staff. ’
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In fact, evidence suggests that CT radiation doses are highly variable across patients, institutions, and countries and, in many cases, doses can be reduced by 50% or more without reducing image quality and diagnostic accuracy.
To better understand the factors contributing to this variation, an international research team analysed dose data for over 2 million CT scans from 151 institutions, across seven countries.
![Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography]( "Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography")
Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography, a nuclear imaging diagnostic tool helps in accurate assessment of blood flow to organs. It scans images for diagnosis of heart disease and abnormalities.
They included scans of the abdomen, chest, combined chest and abdomen, and head from 1.7 million adults between November 2015 and August 2017.
They adjusted the data for a range of variables related to the patient (e.g. sex and size), institution (e.g. trauma centre, academic or private), and machine (e.g. manufacturer and model).
The researchers found that most of these factors had only a small effect on dose variation across countries.
For example, after adjusting for patient characteristics, there was still a fourfold range in mean effective dose for abdominal scans and a 17-fold range in proportion of high dose scans (4-69%). Similar variation persisted for chest scans, and combined chest and abdomen scans.
Adjusting for institution and machine factors also had little effect on dose variation. However, adjusting for technical factors (how scanners were used by medical staff) substantially reduced or eliminated nearly all the dose variation across countries.
As such, the researchers conclude that the variation in doses used for CT scanning of patients is primarily driven by how CT scanners are used, rather than to underlying differences in the patients scanned or the machines used.
This is an observational study, and as such, can't establish cause, and the researchers point to some limitations that may have influenced the results.
Nevertheless, they say these findings suggest that optimising doses to a consistent standard should be possible. And they call for more education and international collaboration to set benchmarks for optimum target doses.
Source: Eurekalert
Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography
Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography, a nuclear imaging diagnostic tool helps in accurate assessment of blood flow to organs. It scans images for diagnosis of heart disease and abnormalities.
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They included scans of the abdomen, chest, combined chest and abdomen, and head from 1.7 million adults between November 2015 and August 2017.
They adjusted the data for a range of variables related to the patient (e.g. sex and size), institution (e.g. trauma centre, academic or private), and machine (e.g. manufacturer and model).
The researchers found that most of these factors had only a small effect on dose variation across countries.
For example, after adjusting for patient characteristics, there was still a fourfold range in mean effective dose for abdominal scans and a 17-fold range in proportion of high dose scans (4-69%). Similar variation persisted for chest scans, and combined chest and abdomen scans.
Adjusting for institution and machine factors also had little effect on dose variation. However, adjusting for technical factors (how scanners were used by medical staff) substantially reduced or eliminated nearly all the dose variation across countries.
As such, the researchers conclude that the variation in doses used for CT scanning of patients is primarily driven by how CT scanners are used, rather than to underlying differences in the patients scanned or the machines used.
This is an observational study, and as such, can't establish cause, and the researchers point to some limitations that may have influenced the results.
Nevertheless, they say these findings suggest that optimising doses to a consistent standard should be possible. And they call for more education and international collaboration to set benchmarks for optimum target doses.
Source: Eurekalert
CT Scans may Heighten the Risk of Brain Cancer
CT scans may increase the risk of brain cancer, research at the Oxford University Press finds. This pattern of excess cancer risk may be partly due to confounding by indication, because the incidence of brain tumors is higher in the cohort than in the general population.
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 CT Scan Results Turn into 3D Images With Virtual Reality TechnologyInteractive virtual reality enhances physicians' treatment planning of complex conditions like splenic artery aneurysms by providing interventional radiologists with a 360-degree view of internal anatomy. This technology can turn images from CT scan into a 3D image. | Advertisement
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