Augusta, GA--Children are more sensitive to radiation than adults, and an accumulation of radiation exposure to their growing, smaller bodies could, over time, have adverse effects. That is why radiologists at MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center are embracing the Image Gently campaign, an initiative of the American College of Radiology and the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging, to keep exposure in children to a minimum.
“We’ve actually been imaging gently for years,” said Dr. James Rawson, Chief of Radiology for MCGHealth. “Physicians and radiologists with MCGHealth have long recognized that you don’t want to use unnecessary radiation in patient testing, especially with kids. We met the standard before it became a nationwide initiative,” he said.
At the MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center, the region’s only children’s hospital, radiologists scan only when necessary, scan only the indicated region, and scan only once, in order to reduce exposure in children. These Image Gently guidelines for X-rays and CT (computed tomography) scans are aimed to significantly reduce or “child-size” the amount of radiation used in pediatric imaging. Radiologists also explore alternatives to radiation, such as ultrasound or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), in order to image gently.
MCGHealth is the only medical facility in the area with three full-time board-certified medical physicists who work directly with the radiology team to design and optimize imaging techniques. In addition, several MCGHealth faculty are members of the American College of Radiology, where they study, then put into practice the latest techniques in order to improve patient care.
But what if you are taking your child somewhere else for physician recommended radiological tests? “Be your child’s advocate,” Dr. Rawson said. Ask questions, like ‘Is a CT scan the only way or could another imaging test provide the same information without exposing my child to any radiation?’ Like any medical test, the beneficial information gained from the test should outweigh the risk of having the test performed. If a CT test is the best test for your child, then make sure your imaging provider uses appropriate low-dose techniques to minimize radiation exposure,” Dr. Rawson said.
MCG Health, Inc. (d/b/a MCGHealth) is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCGHealth Medical Center, MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center, and related outpatient facilities and services throughout the state. For more information, please visit mcghealth.org.