CLEVELAND – The use of radiation-based imaging has risen dramatically in the past decade, and medical radiation now accounts for a significant proportion of all radiation exposure in the United States.
Critically ill patients are often subjected to many computerized tomography scans and X-rays, but who is keeping track of them?
When he noticed one of his patients had undergone 100 X-rays, Dr. Sudhir Krishnan, of Cleveland Clinic, was concerned.
"I said, 'Surely, someone is keeping track of this. Some regional, local or national authority is keeping track on the amount of radiation exposure a patient typically gets,' and I realized that wasn't the case. There's nobody," Krishnan said.
There is a standard federal limit for radiation dosage, but a recent Cleveland Clinic study revealed something shocking.
"Some exceeded a number of more than 100 milisiverts within these six days. By federal occupational standards, that dose cannot be exceeded in five years, and we have that happening in six days," Krishnan said.
As patients move from different facilities, the information about the radiation they have received isn't transferred which could lead to, "patients could develop a certain kind of cancer because they've been exposed to a certain amount of radiation," Krishnan said.
X-rays, CT scans and fluoroscopic surgery are the most common sources of radiation. But Dr. Charles Martin, of Cleveland Clinic, said something needs to change.
"Improving communication amongst the multiple specialties, to see if there's one way to get many pieces of information from one study," Martin said.
Krishnan suggests that patients talk to their doctor about radiation and be sure to ask, "If there is no suitable alternative and (whether it) is absolutely necessary. Then, one would have to weigh the benefits versus risk and proceed with what's required," he said.
The Cleveland Clinic is working to develop a tool that tracks radiation doses and uses electronic medical records as a home for all of the information.