Radiation protection in newer imaging technologies

Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2010 Apr-May;139(1-3):357-62. doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncq005. Epub 2010 Feb 8.

Abstract

Not even a week passes without a paper getting published in peer reviewed journals on radiation protection in newer imaging technologies that either did not exist 10 y ago or were not established for routine use. Computed tomography (CT) happens to be a common element in most of these technologies. Radiation protection is high on the agenda of manufacturers and researchers and that is becoming a driving force for users and international organisations. The media and thus the public have their own share in increasing the momentum. The slice war seems to be shifting to dose war. Manufacturers are now chasing the target of sub-mSv CT. The era of two digit mSv effective dose for a CT procedure is far from losing ground, although cardiac CT within 5 mSv seems possible. A few years ago the change in technology was faster than adoption of dose management but currently even the development of dose reduction techniques is faster than its adoption. There is dearth of large-scale surveys of practice and lack of surveys with change in technology.

MeSH terms

  • Body Burden*
  • Humans
  • Radiation Dosage
  • Radiation Protection / methods*
  • Radiographic Image Enhancement / trends*
  • Radiometry / trends*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / trends*