[ RadSafe ] CT scans dangerous?

[garyi at trinityphysics.com]

John is correct - ALARA does not apply to medical exposures (not to be confused with 
occupational exposure to medical techs and such).  ALARA, God help us, is a regulatory 
issue.  But when a physician uses radiation for treatment or diagnosis, he/she is assumed to 
take minor issues like stochastic effects into consideration when weighing the risk vs benefit.

-Gary Isenhower



On 2 Nov 2007 at 19:58, John Jacobus wrote:

Date sent:      	Fri, 2 Nov 2007 19:58:32 -0700 (PDT)
From:           	John Jacobus <crispy_bird at yahoo.com>
Subject:        	RE: [ RadSafe ] CT scans dangerous?
To:             	"áøé÷ðø" "ãá" <brickner at smile.net.il>, radsafe at radlab.nl

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Dr. Brickner,
Does that cited paper have any evidence of mortality
due to CT scans?  How do the projected risks compare
to the immediate benefits derived from the CT scans?


--- áøé÷ðø ãá <brickner at smile.net.il> wrote:

> I am not sure that ALARA does not apply to medical
> exposures. It is true
> that justification considerations are limited (and
> the decision to perform a
> CT exam is made on medical basis), but justification
> should be applied in
> certain situations like a pregnant woman or repeated
> exams in children
> ("complex situations" as they are called in ICRP
> 60). Optimiztion should be
> applied at the level of the imaging department or
> institution  (see ICRP 60
> 179-184).
> The subject was discussed in Israel lately : Chodick
> G et al. Excess
> lifetime cancer mortality risk attributable to
> radiation exposure from
> pediatric computed tomography examinations . Israel
> Med Assn J 2007 ;
> 9:579-82 (paper written in English if anybody is
> interested I can try to get
> a pdf copy) .
> Dov Brickner        MD
> Beer Sheva    ISRAEL
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl
> [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On Behalf
> Of John Jacobus
> Sent: Friday, November 02, 2007 4:09 AM
> To: radsafe at radlab.nl
> Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] CT scans dangerous?
> 
> 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:
> 
> >

+++++++++++++++++++
"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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Regards,
Gary Isenhower, M.S.
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