Radiation is important in medical imaging because it provides critical diagnostic insights that assist in the discovery, treatment, and management of a variety of health disorders. X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, and nuclear medicine all use radiation to provide comprehensive images of the body’s internal structures, allowing healthcare workers to diagnose and monitor diseases more accurately. The use of radiation in medical imaging has considerably improved patient outcomes and is now a fundamental component of modern healthcare procedures.
However, despite its invaluable contributions, radiation-based imaging carries inherent hazards. Even tiny doses of radiation can have a negative impact on health, including an increased risk of cancer and other long-term consequences.
The cumulative consequences of repeated exposure, particularly in susceptible populations like children and pregnant women, emphasise the importance of carefully considering and managing radiation dosages. While this has enhanced patient care, improper or hazardous use of radiation technology can pose health concerns to both patients and healthcare personnel. There is a need to maximise advantages while reducing negative effects.
Enhancing patient safety
Medical imaging treatments like CT scans and X-rays are extremely important diagnostic tools, but they can also expose patients to ionising radiation. That is why it is critical to optimise radiation exposure and keep it as low as practically possible (ALARA). Imaging protocols are especially important in such circumstances.
An imaging protocol with its three primary components: imaging modality, anatomical region of interest, and acquisition parameters serves to ensure consistency, accuracy, and safety in medical imaging. Acquisition parameters determine how each image series is taken. These include, but are not limited to, details indicating image dimensionality (3D vs 2D), perspective (axial vs coronal vs sagittal), and granularity (for example, slice thickness). These protocols are stored into scanners and can be customised based on patient requirements or clinical settings. Using suitable imaging protocols is one of the most effective ways to reduce radiation dose while achieving high-quality diagnostic outcomes.
Appropriate imaging protocols consider a number of parameters, including the patient’s age, weight, and medical history, as well as the clinical reason for the imaging treatment. Because children’s growing tissues are more sensitive to radiation, a pediatric CT scan may require less radiation than an adult CT scan.
Beyond protocol selection, healthcare professionals can use dose reduction approaches (such as iterative reconstruction algorithms), dose tracking systems, and regular quality assurance audits to improve patient safety. By combining these measures, healthcare providers can assist ensure that medical imaging is done safely and effectively while using the least amount of radiation feasible.
Why do they matter?
Each patient is unique. For example; a 70-year-old with a history of arthritis may need a very different scan when compared to a 25-year-old athlete with a knee injury. Imaging procedures allow radiologists to tailor the scan to your unique needs. That means you get just the proper amount of imaging, no more, no less while your doctor gets exactly the information they are looking for. What more, you spend less time in the scanner and are exposed to the lowest possible dose of radiation.
Overall, using suitable imaging methods is an important strategy for lowering patient radiation dose in medical imaging. Healthcare providers can assist reduce the risk of radiation exposure while obtaining high-quality diagnostic images by adopting the most appropriate imaging strategy for each patient and clinical indication.