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Radiation Dose During Routine Scans Could Be Lowered
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FRIDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- It''s possible to reduce radiation dose by as much as 88 percent when conducting common interventional radiology procedures -- such as CT-guided biopsy, needle aspiration, or catheter placement -- without sacrificing safety or effectiveness, U.S. researchers say. "These patients undergo diagnostic imaging examinations before they come in for their image-guided interventional procedures," Dr. Brian Lucey, of Boston University Medical Center, said in a prepared statement. The initial examinations are done using standard radiation doses -- 175 to 250 mAs, depending on the size of the patient. In the past, "we also used standard radiation doses when we performed the interventional procedure, but we really do not require diagnostic quality images. Which means that we can dramatically reduce the radiation dose when we perform the interventional procedure. We can perform biopsies, needle aspirations and place catheters even if the image is a little muddy," Lucey said. In this study involving 291 patients, "201 percutaneous biopsy procedures were performed using 30 mAs, and the technical success rate was 93.5 percent," Lucey said. In contrast, "The technical success rate for biopsies performed using standard radiation dose in the 12 months prior to introducing the low dose radiation technique was actually lower -- 87.5 percent," he said. The study also included 90 percutaneous aspirations or catheter placements at 30 mAs, with a success rate of 96.7 percent. "We routinely do these procedures using 30 mAs. This study shows that you can go as low as 30 mAs, but if a radiologist feels uncomfortable going that low, it is important to remember that any decrease below the standard dose is good," Lucey said. The study was presented this week at the American Roentgen Ray Society annual meeting, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. More information The Society of Interventional Radiology has more about interventional radiology.
Last Updated: May 5, 2006 |