Dear AuntMinnie Member,
You can't manage what you can't measure. That old management adage holds some truth, particularly in the case of radiation dose and pediatric CT.
A new research study published this month found wide variations in pediatric CT dose across imaging facilities in developing countries. What's more, the study showed that some sites were still using adult-sized imaging protocols rather than techniques optimized for children.
Even though the findings perhaps aren't a total surprise, the study goes a long way toward helping international health authorities measure dose levels in different countries, as well as manage the tricky issue of preserving CT's diagnostic benefits for the smallest patients while ensuring they're not overexposed. Learn more by clicking here for an article by associate editor Cynthia E. Keen.
Image Gently marks milestone
On a related note, Ms. Keen provides an update on the Image Gently campaign, probably the most visible effort to manage pediatric radiation dose in North America.
When it launched in January 2008, Image Gently was remarkable in that it represented a proactive effort by pediatric imaging advocates to take control of the radiation dose debate. That move seems prescient now, given the new attention on medical sources of radiation for both pediatric and adult patients.
Indeed, the Image Gently campaign has been cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a success story to be emulated, as the agency ponders a more vigorous role in regulating medical radiation.
Learn more about Image Gently and where it's going by clicking here, or visit our Pediatric Imaging Digital Community at pediatric.auntminnie.com.
