“The Current State of CT Dose Management Across Radiology: Well Intentioned but Not Universally Well Executed,” is the title of a recent article by Drs. Tim Szczykutowicz, Robert Bour, Frank Ranallo, and Myron Pozniak of the Departments of Radiology and Medical Physics which reviews common techniques for CT dose reduction and some of the shortcomings in effectively implementing them in medical imaging centers. In a time of increased awareness and concern around CT dosage, the authors sought to understand the actual effectiveness of some of these measures. The commentary was published in the American Journal of Roentgenology on June 12 and has been featured by AuntMinnie.com as well as Radiology Business.
Some of the key points of the piece include the shortcomings of dose-monitoring software that give alerts based on dose amount but don’t take into account the type of intervention being performed, and the complexity of setting up automated exposure control systems. Also discussed is the discrepancy between advancement in CT imaging equipment and operator’s education regarding dose and pitch, as well as the difficulties encountered in classifying dose data from different exams without a common naming convention in place.
The stories can be read at AuntMinnie as well as Radiology Business, and the full article in the American Journal of Roentgenology.
This comes alongside the second annual meeting of the UW CT Protocol Technologist Advisory Board where the UW team is working on making its CT protocols even more intuitive for CT technologists, as well as a study earlier this month by Drs. Christina Brunnquell, Greg Avey, and Tim Szczykutowicz on the time efficiency of CT imaging of acute stroke at UW.