[ RadSafe ] CT scans dangerous?

Fri Nov 9 13:53:06 CST 2007

In this case, the value of the immedicate benefit to
the patient, e.g., diagnosis or treatment, has a
greater value that reducing exposures to a worker
under an ALARA program, where the quantification of a
future, statistical cancer is certainly far less
certain.

--- Cindy Bloom <radbloom at comcast.net> wrote:

> 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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+++++++++++++++++++
"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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