Strategies for Reducing Radiation Exposure from Multidetector Computed Tomography in the Acute Care Setting
2013 ◽
Vol 64
(2)
◽
pp. 119-129
◽
Many tools and strategies exist to enable reduction of radiation exposure from computed tomography (CT). The common CT metrics of x-ray output, the volume CT dose index and the dose-length product, are explained and serve as the basis for monitoring radiation exposure from CT. Many strategies to dose-optimize CT protocols are explored that, in combination with available hardware and software tools, allow robust diagnostic quality CT to be performed with a radiation exposure appropriate for the clinical scenario and the size of the patient. Specific emergency department example protocols are used to demonstrate these techniques.