UPOTREBA CT-A U DJEČIJOJ DOBI U SVAKODNEVNOM RADU
THE USE OF CT IN CHILDREN IN DAILY WORK

Author(s): Sandra Vegar-Zubović, Spomenka Kristić, Muris Bečirčić
Contributor(s): Deniz Bulja (Translator)
Subject(s): Health and medicine and law
Published by: Akademija Nauka i Umjetnosti Bosne i Hercegovine
Keywords: the increasing number of CT scans; leukaemia; brain cancer; the ALARA approach;
Summary/Abstract: Goal: To determine the consequences of excessive use of CT in everyday clinical practice with special emphasis on pediatric patients. Background: Although, CT is a sovereign diagnostic method, its excessive use in clinical practice raises concerns about the possible risk for the development of malignant diseases incurred as a direct result of exposure to ionizing radiation by CT devices. The concern is even more increased in pediatric patients, due to their radiosensitivity. Methods: Review of recent literature and analysis of retrospective studies. Discussion: A study of 180,000 respondents younger than 22 years in the UK in the period between 1985 – 2002, conducted by Pearce and associates shows that the cumulative radiation dose of 50 mGy in children triples the risk of developing leukaemia, while the cumulative dose of 60 mGy nearly triples the risk of developing brain cancer. A study conducted in Australia between 1985 – 2005 within 11 million patients age 0-19, Mathews and associates observed the occurrence of malignant diseases for 10 years after completion of CT scans. They proved that the incidence of malignant diseases in children exposed to ionizing radiation is 24% higher than in unexposed children. Rice and associates13 calculated that one of 1,000 children who perform CT scan will get sick from cancer. Conclusion: The occurrence of expected number of cancer diseases created as a direct result of exposure to ionizing radiation by CT apparatus can be reduced up to 62% if the radiation dosage and all unnecessary indicated CT examinations are reduced.

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