In researching this topic, the question to weigh is whether or not the severity of the injury warrants the use of a CT scan as these machines produces small doses of ionized radiation. As CT scanning has been the de facto standard for identifying a significant injury to a person’s head is nothing to ignore. More often than needed, CT scans will be used as a readily and rapidly available tool to assist doctors instead of human observation alone.
That being said, this study performed an analysis of children with minor blunt head trauma where doctors observed the patients before deciding whether to use computed tomography or not. Although, research has shown that the majority of the time, emergency room departments will employ a CT-scan when it comes to children with sports related concussions. As they tend to err on the side of caution even for minor head injuries that were unlikely to have any lasting or dangerous results. According to Todd Glass, M.D., division chief of emergency medicine at Nemours Children's Hospital, "There is an …show more content…
They are very useful in diagnosing and managing head injuries. However, it is not clear whether or not low doses of radiation can be harmful on young children especially. Where they’re more vulnerable and can experience a greater increase in risk when being scanned. Some doctors underestimate the dangers CT scans pose to children, where the risk of developing cancer later in life through more exposure is there. Stephen J. Swensen, M.D., medical director at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “If the scan isn’t necessary or emits the wrong dose of radiation, the risks far outweigh the benefits.” More importantly noted, “All too often children are receiving adult-sized doses of radiation, which is many times the amount they need,” Swensen says. “The dose directly increases the risk of leukemia or a solid tumor. And that’s not regulated
That being said, this study performed an analysis of children with minor blunt head trauma where doctors observed the patients before deciding whether to use computed tomography or not. Although, research has shown that the majority of the time, emergency room departments will employ a CT-scan when it comes to children with sports related concussions. As they tend to err on the side of caution even for minor head injuries that were unlikely to have any lasting or dangerous results. According to Todd Glass, M.D., division chief of emergency medicine at Nemours Children's Hospital, "There is an …show more content…
They are very useful in diagnosing and managing head injuries. However, it is not clear whether or not low doses of radiation can be harmful on young children especially. Where they’re more vulnerable and can experience a greater increase in risk when being scanned. Some doctors underestimate the dangers CT scans pose to children, where the risk of developing cancer later in life through more exposure is there. Stephen J. Swensen, M.D., medical director at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “If the scan isn’t necessary or emits the wrong dose of radiation, the risks far outweigh the benefits.” More importantly noted, “All too often children are receiving adult-sized doses of radiation, which is many times the amount they need,” Swensen says. “The dose directly increases the risk of leukemia or a solid tumor. And that’s not regulated