HomeTechnological cornerMDCT radiation dose in children is further reduced by appropriate timing in the use of breast shields

MDCT radiation dose in children is further reduced by appropriate timing in the use of breast shields

    C. Catalano


    Introduction

    An interesting study was published in the January 2008 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology(1). Conducted at Duke University Medical Center, the study investigated a way to reduce radiation dose during MDCT in the pediatric population. The issue, as already discussed in previous Hot Topics in mdct.net, is extremely important:  for example, of the 57 million CT exams performed every year only in the United States, 7.1 million involve the pediatric population. These numbers are extremely high, considering that still not much is done to significantly reduce the radiation exposure. Radiation dose should be of special concern in children, because the younger their age at exposure the greater the potential for cancer development.

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