Radiological protection issues in mammography and computed tomography

The history of mammography and computed tomography (CT) is briefly reviewed and typical radiation doses are discussed. Patient protection issues in mammography are limited and handled well in countries with mammography regulatory or certification programmes. Both patient dose and image quality must be monitored through quality control programmes. CT is a high dose procedure, a point which is not clearly understood by physicians, radiologists, medical physicists or radiographers. It is essential to undertake an extensive programme of CT dose reduction. Eight factors affecting the radiation dose to CT patients are discussed as well as the fact that most facilities use the same technical factors regardless of patient size or the body part being imaged. Many new techniques or applications of CT will increase doses to patients and staff. Radiology staff must take the appropriate steps to minimize their doses during CT procedures. In order to optimize CT doses it is essential to educate all medical personnel on the high dose potential of CT, and inform them that they should make every effort to reduce CT doses to a level as low as reasonably achievable, that they should assure that all CT scanners are equipped with automatic exposure control equipment and that they should address the eight factors affecting radiation doses to patients. It is essential that medical imaging professionals remain in the forefront of the technology being applied in mammography and CT. (author)