Surge in kids’ CT scans raises concerns
April 5, 2011 12:20PM
Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM
Soaring numbers of kids are getting CT scans in emergency rooms, a study has found, raising concerns that some of them might be exposed to adult-sized radiation doses and an increased risk of developing cancer.
The number of ER visits nationwide in which children were given CT scans surged from about 330,000 in 1995 to 1.65 million in 2008 — a five-fold increase. The number of kids’ ER visits didn’t increase measurably during the study, but the percentage of visits involving CT scans went from about 1 percent to almost 6 percent, according to the study, reported Tuesday in the journal Radiology.
Increases in CT scan use also have been found in adults. But CT scans in kids require special oversight, including adjusting doses to their smaller size, because they are more sensitive to radiation than adults, with more time for radiation-related cancers to develop.
Dr. Steven Krug, emergency department chief at Chicago’s Children’s Memorial Hospital, said many institutions — including his own — have started using ultrasound rather than CT scans to diagnose appendicitis in some kids with abdominal pain. Ultrasound images aren’t as detailed as CT images, and kids with uncertain results still need CT scans, but he said that trend might help limit radiation exposure.
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