Children, CT Scan and Radiation

Children are more sensitive to radiation than adults. Computerized tomography (CT) consists of 25 % of all medical imaging. It was estimated that more than 2% of all carcinomas in the USA are due to CT scans. There is an ongoing focus on the reduction of CT scan radiation dose. Awareness about risk-benefits of CT has increased. Reduction of radiological exam is an important issue because the accumulation effects of radiation can be hazardous. In addition, proper protocol should be followed for diagnostic procedures of ionization radiation and computerized tomography. Effective radiation dose should range from 0.8 to 10.5 millisievert. The same protocol should be followed in different hospitals as well. Basic principles of radiation protection should be monitored. As much as possible, both technician and radiologist must be present during computerized tomography for children, and MRI and ultrasound should be replaced if possible.