Slowing the increase in the collective dose resulting from CT scans

Abstract

There has been a rapid increase in the collective dose from medical radiation within the last 20 years, mostly due to CT. Diagnostic radiation exposure should always operate under the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle and opportunities do exist in the CT field for collective dose reduction through reducing the numbers of CT scans performed, or at least by slowing the rate of increase. It is argued that clinical decision rules for CT usage represent a potentially powerful tool for slowing down the increase in CT usage, because they have the potential to overcome some of the major factors that result in some CT scans being undertaken when they unlikely to be clinically helpful. © 2009 Springer-Verlag.