 Gelareh Sadigh |
 Kimberly Applegate |
Approximately 6% of CT scans performed in the United States are performed on children, accounting for about 75% of the radiation dose in children, with the head being the most frequently imaged pediatric body part.
Many attempts have been made to quantify risks associated with ionizing radiation use in medical imaging, with some studies suggesting that radiation dose from pediatric head CT scans may increase the risk of developing leukemia or other solid tumors, while others suggest radiation dose to the lens of the eye from head and neck CT scans may increase the risk of developing cataracts. Children are more radiosensitive than adults and have a longer expected lifetime during which diseases and radiation-related complications might occur, which may or may not be linked to ionizing radiation.
In the current study, we aimed to assess variation in estimated radiation dose indices for pediatric noncontrast head CT in the United States using the American College of Radiology national CT Dose Index Registry. Our findings showed practice variation in radiation dose estimates as measured by CT dose index volume and dose-length product, with approximately 107% and 112% differences between the 25th and 75th percentiles, respectively. Less variation occurred in pediatric facilities compared with adult facilities and in metropolitan areas compared with suburban/rural facilities.
The results of our study raise awareness for quality improvement opportunities and allow providers who care for children the opportunity to compare their performance against published, national benchmarks. Decreasing dose variability through the proper management of CT parameters in pediatric populations using benchmarks generated by data from registries may help decrease population exposure to ionizing radiation.