[ RadSafe ] CT scans dangerous?

[Cindy Bloom]

But optimization (ICRP 55), which is a balancing of benefits, risks, and 
costs (to the individual and to the community) does apply to medical 
exposures, which is why medical doses/dosages (as one of the parameters) 
are/should be considered when prescribing therapies or diagnostic tests.

At 07:09 PM 11/1/2007 -0700, John Jacobus wrote:
>Ward,
>ALARA does not and should not apply to medical
>exposures. ALARA principles are used to reduce the
>risk of harmful effects associated with radiation
>exposures.  In medicine, the patient is frequently
>already at risk from harm due to disease or injury.
>Radiation, surgery, prescribed drugs, etc., all have
>the potential to improve the patents' health and
>quality of life.
>
>While physicians are probably not trained in the risks
>of radiation exposure, drug interactions, etc. they
>assume total responsibility for the patient under
>their care.
>
>
>--- "Brunkow, Ward" <ward.brunkow at wipp.ws> wrote:
>
> >
> > Good issue to bring up. I think the answer is as it
> > has been for
> > decades:
> > >ALARA principal is not observed well within the
> > medical community
> > >Dr.s aren't trained well in radiation safety and
> > therefore prescribe
> > diagnostic use freely
> > >I think the older CT scanners were giving 12 -20
> > Rem  acute exposure at
> > times, especially upper and lower GI
> > >Not enough consideration given to rapidly dividing
> > cells, young people
> > >$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$, money driven yet, not
> > ethical to give
> > someone this exposure if there isn't significant
> > benefit, especially
> > younger person, but have to keep those bucks coming
> > in
> > >Too much "cook book" diagnosis in medical community
> > yet, diagnostic
> > (therapeutic for that matter also) radiation
> > exposure used too freely.
> > The Prescribe and move on to the next one....
> > premise....
> >
> >
> >
> > W. G. (Ward) Brunkow
> > DOE Contractor (former Medical School RSO)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ----Original Message-----
> > From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl
> > [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
> > Behalf Of Steven Dapra
> > Sent: Monday, October 29, 2007 7:42 PM
> > To: radsafe at radlab.nl
> > Subject: [ RadSafe ] CT scans dangerous?
> >
> > Oct. 29, 2007
> >
> >       This article from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel of
> > Oct. 14 was
> > published
> > in today's Albuquerque Journal.
> >
> >       The link
> > is:
> >
>http://gr.acr.org/acr?action=viewNewsArticle&documentId=2c9e4f69159c076a
> > 01159e51df09009d.
> > This is the website of the American College of
> > Radiology.  (The article
> > didn't seem to be available on the SFS-S website.)
> >
> >       According to the article, the ECRI Institute "an
> > independent
> > research
> > group, estimates that CT scans cause 6,000 cases of
> > cancer per year,
> > half
> > of them fatal, making them more of a risk than
> > wrong-site surgeries."
> >
> >       The ECRI's URL is
> > <http://www.ecri.org/Pages/default.aspx>.  It
> > was
> > founded in 1968 as the Emergency Care Research
> > Institute.  A summary of
> > its
> > history will be found here:
> > <http://www.ecri.org/About/Pages/History.aspx>.
> >
> >       Any comments on the article about CT scans?
> >
> > Steven Dapra
> > sjd at swcp.com
> >
>
>+++++++++++++++++++
>"If you guard your toothbrushes and diamonds with equal zeal, you'll 
>probably lose fewer toothbrushes and more diamonds."
>- Former national security advised McGeorge Bundy
>-- John
>John Jacobus, MS
>Certified Health Physicist
>e-mail:  crispy_bird at yahoo.com
>
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