Pediatric CT radiation exposure: where we were, and where we are now.

ABSTRACT

Since the turn of the last millennium, the pediatric radiology community has blazed a patient-quality and safety trail in helping to effectively address the public and the news media's concerns about the implications of ionizing radiation from CT scanners in children. As such, this article (1) reviews the potential deleterious effects of ionizing radiation, (2) discusses why limiting radiation exposure in children is so important, (3) tells the history of pediatric CT radiation exposure concerns, (4) explains the interventions that took place to address these concerns and (5) touches on the current school of thought on pediatric CT dose reduction.