The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has published a range of resources aimed at reducing unnecessary radiation exposure to children and young people from CT scans. They estimate that over 80,000 CT scans are performed on children and young people in Australia each year, and although they are a valuable diagnostic tool, they use a higher level of ionising radiation than other types of imaging.
The resources include brochures for parents and carers outlining the benefits and risks of CT scans - available at http://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/ctscansforkids, a fact sheet for referring doctors to provide information on the typical radiation doses and the key questions to consider when deciding whether to refer a child for a CT scan, and an online training module from the Australian Institute of Radiography to support radiographers who undertake CT scans for children and young people.
More information can be found on the dedicated ACSQHC pages, as well as at Healthdirect, which has partnered with the Commission to develop these resources and others. See http://www.healthdirect.gov.au/ctscansforkids
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