Are CT scans safe for my children?

Part of an ongoing series dedicated to raising health and safety awareness across the Temple community.

Computed tomography images, commonly called CT or CAT scans, are an important diagnostic tool. CT scans are especially useful for imaging the chest, abdomen, pelvis and parts of the body with very small bones, such as the hands and feet. CT scans also let physicians measure the size, extent and exact location of tumors. However, because a CT scan emits radiation, and children are especially sensitive to radiation, its use in children needs to be considered carefully.

We are exposed to radiation every day—it occurs naturally in the air, water, and ground. According to the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), we are exposed to about 3 millisieverts (mSv) of background radiation each year. A standard chest x-ray exposes a patient to radiation equal to 10 days worth of background radiation. A chest CT scan exposure is equivalent to three years of background radiation.

No study has directly linked radiation from CT scans to developing cancer. Although the scientific community generally agrees that radiation exposure is a risk factor, how much of a risk is widely debated. That’s why the benefits of CT scan need to be weighed against the exposure risks, especially for children. Faced with the decision of radiation exposure vs. a potentially life-saving procedure, parents and physicians need to be able to make informed decisions. An excellent resource for both is the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging and their campaign called Image Gently.

The Alliance is a consortium of 13 professional associations that have joined to educate the medical profession and parents about radiation hazards for children. Their website notes:

There are approximately 7 million CT studies performed in children every year in the United States, and the number is increasing approximately 10% per year. CT is widely used among all ages of children, with 33% performed in children under 10 years of age. CT is the largest contributor to medical radiation dose in the United States.

Their website also explains that depending on the problem, magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound might provide sufficient diagnostic information. But because it’s hard for children to stay still long enough, they often need to be sedated for an MRI, which introduces another potential hazard. And ultrasounds, while excellent for imaging soft tissue, cannot “see” through bone.

When a CT scan is the best possible diagnostic tool, your children’s exposure to radiation should be limited by using the fewest scans at the lowest effective dose. For healthcare providers, the Image Gently website offers detailed protocols and links to journal articles and papers. For parents, there’s an FAQ section and links to resources including brochures, articles and a downloadable medical imaging record card. Parents can use this card like an immunization record to record where and when an imaging study was performed.

This article is part of an ongoing series of health and safety articles aiming to raise awareness among Temple University employees, faculty and students about a range of health and safety issues. This is an initiative developed by Temple’s Health and Safety Committee, comprising members from across the University community. If you have health and safety questions, suggestions or concerns, please e-mail the Health and Safety Committee at healthandsafety@temple.edu.