Little impact of tsunami-stricken nuclear accident on awareness of radiation dose of cardiac computed tomography: A questionnaire study

Sung Hea Kim,Kyu Hyung Ryu,Hyun Kyun Ki,Hyun Joong Kim,Soon Yong Suh,Eui Jong Chung,Seong Woo Han

doi:10.1186/1756-0500-6-170

Abstract

BackgroundWith the increased use of cardiac computed tomography (CT), radiation dose remains a major issue, although physicians are trying to reduce the substantial risks associated with use of this diagnostic tool. This study was performed to investigate recognition of the level of radiation exposure from cardiac CT and the differences in the level of awareness of radiation before and after the Fukushima nuclear plant accident.MethodsWe asked 30 physicians who were undergoing training in internal medicine to determine the equivalent doses of radiation for common radiological examinations when a normal chest X-ray is accepted as one unit; questions about the absolute radiation dose of cardiac CT data were also asked.ResultsAccording to the results, 86.6% of respondents believed the exposure to be 1 mSv at most, and 93.3% thought that the exposure was less than that of 100 chest X-rays. This finding indicates that their perceptions were far lower than the actual amounts. Even after the occurrence of such a large nuclear disaster in Fukushima, there were no significant differences in the same subjects’ overall awareness of radiation amounts.ConclusionsEven after such a major social issue as the Fukushima nuclear accident, the level of awareness of the accurate radiation amount used in 64-channel multidetector CT (MDCT) by clinical physicians who order this test was not satisfactory. Thus, there is a need for the development of effective continuing education programs to improve awareness of radiation from ionizing radiation devices, including cardiac CT, and emphasis on risk-benefit evaluation based on accurate knowledge during medical training.

Highlights

With the increased use of cardiac computed tomography (CT), radiation dose remains a major issue, physicians are trying to reduce the substantial risks associated with use of this diagnostic tool
The median value of the relative radiation exposure of cardiac CT compared with a simple chest X-ray was 50 times (10, 500), which did not differ from that of the second survey (50 times [10, 1000]) (z = −4.47, p = 0.655)
The 64-channel multidetector CT (MDCT) is generally known to carry a radiation exposure of 5 to 10 mSv per shot, which is equivalent to 300 times the amount of a simple chest X-ray

Summary

Introduction

With the increased use of cardiac computed tomography (CT), radiation dose remains a major issue, physicians are trying to reduce the substantial risks associated with use of this diagnostic tool. With recent advances in technology, the importance of cardiac imaging has increased. The roles of both cardiac computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have expanded. Unlike MRI, cardiac CT has an innate issue with regard to its radiation hazard, which is known to be higher than that of other CT modalities because of cardiac motion. For proper use of cardiac CT, clinicians must have accurate knowledge of its advantages, and its limitations, especially with regard to radiation hazard. Awareness of radiation hazard by healthcare professionals is essential and important for proper evaluation of the risk-benefit ratio

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