If you are a doctor, a couple things you are surely aware of are A) the huge benefits of radiology in helping you accomplish all you need to accomplish as a medical professional, and B) the small risks that come along with using radiology in order to diagnose problems in a patient's body; ever since the recent, highly-publicized study showing the potential risks of brain cancer and leukemia in children who have undergone CT scans, however, many parents - and in fact, many patients in general - have come to be aware of the risks involved as well, and have generally failed to understand the positives that balance these risks.
The truth of the matter, when it comes to radiology, is that the probability of a child developing leukemia later in life as a result of an earlier CT scan were less than one-one hundredth of one percent - and this was before dose reduction techniques started becoming more widespread, especially in CT scans administered to children, and now that the doses administered to children are much lower, the risk posed is lower than ever before.
Of course (and rightfully so), there are many parents who would contend that a chance of one in one hundred thousand - as slim as it is - is still not a risk they want to subject their children to; while it is quite natural for a parent to feel this way about the safety of their child, there are still enormous benefits that come as a result of using CT scans with only a minimal amount of risk - and what's more, in certain situations (for instance, in a car wreck wherein a patient has a high likelihood of having injured their organs), a CT scan is necessary in order to properly diagnose and care for the patient.
Because of the recent contention between parents and doctors in regards to radiology, and because of the aim of all branches of medicine to balance risk and reward as best as possible, the American Board of Radiology Foundation has announced that they will be convening this summer in the first of a series of national summits, in which they hope to discuss all safety opportunities available in medical imaging.
Many groups have been invited to partake in the summit - including quality and standards organizations, patient safety and consumer groups, healthcare delivery organizations, and healthcare providers - with the hope that, upon the conclusion of the series of summits, there will be a partnership in place that leads the medical community toward a final, definitive solution to medical imaging concerns and problems; and of course, along with the results of this summit will come peace of mind for all parents with questions about the safety of radiology in general, and about CT scans specifically!
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