In the last 30 years, the computerized tomography scan — more commonly known as the CT scan — has become a valuable study to aid in the diagnosis of illness or trauma. It is estimated that 62 million CT scans per year are performed in the United States, including 4 million on children. Without a doubt, it’s an important — and sometimes lifesaving — tool. But like most medical technologies, it has the potential to be a double-edged sword. Many parents and some physicians may not be aware of the amount of radiation delivered to a child undergoing a CT scan. For example, a scan of the head delivers 100 times more radiation than a chest X-ray, and an abdominal scan is equivalent to about 500 chest X-rays. This high dose of radiation is a potential cause of cancer, especially in children. Young children have many developing cells and growing organs, which makes them more susceptible to radiation injury. Children also have more years of life ahead of them, during which the injury from radiation may later be revealed. While the benefit of diagnosis is an asset to the physician managing the patient, the potential risks from radiation are a serious concern.
To read the entire ABC News article, please click on the following link:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/CancerPreventionAndTreatment/story?id=4136914&page=1
For more information on defending medical malpractice, nursing home and general liability matters in Florida contact Howard Citron at Citron & Associates, P.A. – www.citronlegal.com.
