Background/introduction
Introduction
Children are more sensitive to the effects of Ionising radiation than adults with a much higher life time cancer risk factor.
CT provides high quality rapid comprehensive imaging in Trauma patients and has significantly improved the accuracy of the Trauma imaging.
These facts have to be balanced in the decision to CT scan a paediatric trauma patient
Background
Use of CT in polytrauma has increased over last 20 years in paediatrics for several reasons:
1. CT has become quicker to acquire (good for children...
Description of activity and work performed
What is the risk of ionising radiation in children?
Children are more sensitive to ionising radiation compared to adults due to:
1.Higher number of pluripotent cells, with significantly more fragile DNA / RNA structures.
2.Longer life, therefore longer lead time for developing cancer
3.Increased risk of higher accumulative dose based on longer life span
4.Increased risk in females than males (Sun, Ng Sarji, Singapore Med J 2010)
Therefore it is important to minimize their radiation exposure.
Risk of developing a radiation induced cancer = 5%...
Conclusion and recommendations
Conclusion and recommendations
Radiologists have a responsibility to ensure that paediatric trauma patients are not exposed to unnecessary radiation but equally that they are imaging in a timely and appropriate manner. The clinical scenario of an acutely injured child can be very stressful for everyone in the team. With increasing access to advanced CT in Level 1 trauma centres across the world, and relative lack of understanding of the risks of ionising radiation in clinical colleagues, it is our responsibility to educate and to regulate...
Personal/organisational information
E. A. Dick; London/UK - Board Member at ESER A. Alavi; London/UK - nothing to disclose E. Kashef; London/UK - nothing to disclose
References
References
Heyer, Hansmann Paediatrician awareness of radiation dose and inherent risk in chest imaging studies. Eur J Radiol 2009 (#21 in Sun)
Rice et al. Review of radiation risks from CT. Essentials for the paediatric surgeon J Paed Surg 2007 42 603-7
Sun, Ng, Sarji , Is utilisation of computed tomography justified in clinical practice? Part IV applications of paediatric computed tomography. Singapore Med J 2010 21 (6) 457
Negus et al. Paediatric Trauma Imaging. Why do we need separate guidance. Clinical Radiology 2014. 1209-1213...