Exam 19: Radiation Benefits and Risks of Medical Imaging

Although CT scans, nuclear medicine studies, and interventional fluoroscopy studies are only about 25% of imaging studies that use ionizing radiation, they contribute to 50% of the population exposure to ionizing radiation.

Which of the following may be effective strategies to limit unnecessary exposure to ionizing radiation from medical imaging?

In a 2009 U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation of three hospitals in California and one in Alabama, what was the primary concern?

According to data from NCRP and UNSCEAR, globally, exposure from medical imaging is similar to U.S. levels from about 1980, and is much higher in the U.S.

A systematic review, including 14 studies from 6 countries, of physician knowledge about radiation doses and risks from CT scans concluded that physician knowledge was:

For medical imaging 1 Gray is equal to 10 Sieverts, because the weighting factor is 10.

Children are less vulnerable to the effects of ionizing radiation exposure, as they have many years to experience cell growth and body development.

Scientific evidence supporting increased cancer risks with ionizing radiation exposures higher than 100 mSv is well documented.

Contributor to rising numbers of medical imaging tests performed include:

The energy deposited per unit mass, or absorbed radiation dose, is measured in what units?