In light of several incidences of radiation overexposure during CT brain perfusion exams, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued interim recommendations for imaging facilities, radiologists, and radiology technologists to minimize the chance that these adverse events occur in future.
The recommendations include identifying if patients who underwent a CT perfusion exam received an excess dose of radiation, reviewing radiation dosing protocols, implementing quality control procedures to guarantee that dosing protocols are followed during every procedure, having technologists check the scanner display panel before the procedure to ensure that an appropriate amount of radiation is delivered, and adjusting the radiation doses for those patients who will be undergoing more than one radiologic examination during a session.
The FDA worked with state and local officials to identify at least 50 patients who received up to eight times the recommended radiation dose during their neurological CT scans. Some of the patients reported hair loss and skin redness after they underwent their scans. High doses of radiation may cause cataracts and increase the risk of some forms of cancer.
(Source: Press Release)
