FDA Initiative to Reduce Unnecessary Radiation Exposure from Medical Imaging
This post was written by Paul Sheives.
FDA recently announced an initiative seeking to minimize patient exposure to ionizing radiation associated with computed tomography (CT), fluoroscopy, and nuclear medicine imaging exams. To further this goal, the agency is advocating the universal adoption of two principles of radiation protection: (1) appropriate justification for ordering each procedure, and (2) careful optimization of the radiation dose used during each procedure. FDA states that “each patient should get the right imaging exam, at the right time, with the right radiation dose.” The FDA released a white paper on the initiative along with a question and answer document.
