ACR, Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging Launch “Image Gently™” Campaign to Publicize Proper Radiation Dose for Children

The College has joined the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging, a coalition of medical organizations and government bodies, to launch the “Image Gently” campaign, which focuses on informing medical imaging professionals about opportunities to lower radiation dose used in pediatric imaging.

Children obviously have smaller bodies than adults and the Alliance want to ensure that imaging providers are accounting for the potential adverse affects imaging could have on younger patients as the grow. As part of this effort, the College and all Alliance member organizations urge that, when performing imaging exams on children, providers:

 Significantly reduce, or “child-size,” the amount of radiation used

 Not over-scan:
- Scan only when necessary
- Scan only the indicated region
- Scan once; multi phase scanning (pre-and post contrast, delayed exams) is rarely helpful

 Be a team player:
- Involve medical physicists to monitor pediatric CT techniques 
- Involve technologists to optimize scanning

The Image Gently Web site (www.imagegently.org) was developed as a resource for all radiology professionals. It includes educational material as well as imaging protocols. We ask that you share this important with your imaging staff and referring physicians. Remember, what we do now will affect children for their lifetime. I hope you take the time to review the educational material on the Image Gently Web site (www.imagegently.org) and familiarize yourself with the information the ACR will be providing you in the coming weeks.

Here are some statistics:

 4 million pediatric CT scans were performed in 2006
 The number of pediatric CT scans performed in the United States has tripled in the last five years

Questions for you:

• Have you noticed an increase in pediatric imaging over the course of your careers?
• Do you have any suggestions for lowering CT dose in pediatric patients that perhaps were not included in the Image Gently Web site?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.