Abstract

Radiation can be used for medical diagnostic purposes. In order to limit the disadvantages of such techniques, it is important to minimize the radiation dose used. CT scans, which are used to diagnose various medical conditions, are a major source of medical radiation. CT scans contribute more than half of the medical radiation to which the Dutch population is exposed.

A study carried out by RIVM makes it clear that hospitals do their best to minimize the amount of radiation to which patients are exposed via CT scans. It is also clear that the person administering the CT scan makes an important contribution in this regard. This person is referred to as a medical radiologic technologist (Dutch acronym: MBB (medical imaging and radiation) expert). The medical radiologic technologist works together with the clinical physicist, who monitors the equipment and the radiation dose.

The medical radiologic technologist uses the CT scan technology itself to automatically reduce the radiation dose. This is accomplished, for example, based on the posture of the patient. The technologist can also adjust the CT scan settings manually. For example, he can do so based on the type of diagnostic procedure or the age of the patient. The benefit obtained from these adjustments, in terms of the radiation dose, is not always known.

If hospitals acquire and introduce new CT scanning equipment, they generally improve at least half of the CT scan protocols. It is important to make effective agreements in order to further reduce the radiation dose. Such agreements can, for example, designate who is responsible for reviewing the protocols and when. Every time that this takes place, the team can decide whether improvements are possible. Ideally, the team consists of a medical radiologic technologist, a clinical physicist, and a radiologist.

For the study at hand, a number of hospitals were asked what actions they take in order to reduce the radiation dose during CT scan as much as possible.