Scans expose children to potentially harmful radiation
According to a study of more than 40,000 U.S. children, hospitals might be doing up to twice as many CT scans on kids with head injuries as are necessary, Postmedia News reports. Researchers found that waiting in the emergency room to see if a child’s symptoms improve before a scan can reduce the use of CT scans of the head by as much as half, without increasing the risk that something important will be overlooked. In Canadian children’s hospitals, scans for minor head injuries climbed from 15 per cent in 1995 to 53 per cent in 2005, even though there can be long-term risks, such as cancer, which can be triggered by radiation.