Alarm about computed tomography scans is unjustified

Mendelson, Richard M; Fox, Richard A; de Klerk, Nicholas H

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2010.tb03884.x

Topics

To the Editor: Blecher correctly asserts that alarm is not the appropriate reaction to the potential dangers of computed tomography (CT) scans.1 Such alarm risks discouraging patients from having the CT scans they need. Appropriate CT scans are good; inappropriate ones are bad.

1 Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, WA.
2 University of Western Australia, Perth, WA.
3 Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Perth, WA.

Correspondence: richard.mendelson@health.wa.gov.au

1. Blecher CM. Alarm about computed tomography scans is unjustified [letter]. Med J Aust 2010; 192: 723-724. <MJA full text>
2. Brenner DJ, Doll R, Goodhead DT, et al. Cancer risks attributable to low doses of ionizing radiation: assessing what we really know. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2003; 100: 13761-13766.
3. Health Physics Society. Radiation risk in perspective: position statement of the Health Physics Society (adopted Jan 1996, revised Aug 2004). McLean, Va: Health Physics Society, 2004. http://www.hps.org/documents/risk_ps010-1.pdf (accessed May 2010, link no longer available).
4. Frush DP, Donnelly LF, Rosen NS. Computed tomography and radiation risks: what pediatric health care providers should know. Pediatrics 2003; 112: 951-957.
5. Pierce DA, Shimizu Y, Preston DL, et al. Studies of mortality of atomic bomb survivors. Report 12, Part 1. Cancer: 1950–1990. Radiat Res 1996; 146: 1-27.
6. Golding SJ, Shrimpton PC. Radiation dose in CT: are we meeting the challenge? Brit J Radiol 2002; 75: 1-4.
7. Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency. Code of practice: radiation protection in the medical applications of ionizing radiation. Canberra: ARPANSA, 2008. (ARPANSA Radiation Protection Series No. 14.) http://www.arpansa.gov.au/pubs/rps/rps14.pdf (accessed Jul 2010).

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.