FDA Issues CT Scan Guidelines
November 13, 2001
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking steps to ensure computerized tomography (CAT or "CT") scans do not pose a radiation threat to children. The FDA has issued new guidelines that the agency hopes will limit radiation overexposure. CT scans, which help in early detection of disease, have been under attack recently due to fears that the machines occasionally emit excessive levels of radiation, putting children at risk.
Due to these concerns, the new guidelines address patient size and the number of scans the patient is subjected to. The recommendations suggest that the CT technician adjust the settings depending on the patient's height and diameter, a policy that FDA officials say will reduce the level of radiation exposure.
Doctors, who say the benefits of a CT scan "outweigh the risks," are praising the new guidelines, describing them as a "good thing."
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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