Over the past few months, the media has reported on the risks of CT scanning in medical imaging.  The reports started over isolated incidents of overexposure in a Southern California hospital, and other sites in California and Alabama.  These sites were performing a specific type of brain scanning called perfusion studies that are related to post-stroke follow-up imaging.  According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these sites set up imaging protocols that were beyond the manufacturer's recommendations.  The FDA subsequently sent out an advisory to all CT operators to review their scanning protocols. 

At Delnor Hospital, we reviewed all of the recommendations and determined that we were already following all suggested methods to reduce exposure to our patients as requested by the FDA.  Our imaging protocols follow the manufacturer's guidelines and are locked to prevent exceeding these limits. 

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Questions to ask your doctor:

• Why have you suggested this test?  What do you hope to learn?
• Do you expect the results might change your medical recommendations?  How?
• Are there alternatives that involve less radiation exposure?  Could an MRI or an ultrasound substitute?
• What's the average radiation dose associated with this kind of test?  How many times will I be scanned?
• Is there a way to perfrom this test that involves fewer scans and less radiation exposure?
• Do you have an ownership stake in the machines used to scan me?

Questions to ask the staff at the imaging facility:

• Are the technicians licensed or certified?
• Are the machines checked routinely?
• Is the facility accredited?
• Will an expert radiologist interpret the test?