AJNR Special Collection and Podcast Explore Radiation Exposure and CT Dose Strategies in Wake of FDA Investigation
The safety investigation initiated last month by the US Food and Drug Administration following radiation overexposures during perfusion CT imaging highlights the importance of CT quality assurance programs. The American Journal of Neuroradiology’s latest Special Collection “Radiation Dose in Neuroradiology CT Protocols” gathers recent research and guidelines on this topic in one convenient resource. Collection Editors Max Wintermark and Michael H. Lev also hosted an accompanying half-hour podcast with Pina Sanelli and Pamela Schaefer. Their discussion addresses CT quality assurance, dose reduction strategies, clinical indicators for perfusion CT, acquisition parameters, and repeat studies.
“These unfortunate events have been front page material for the media, leading to patient anxiety and, more important, to questions regarding the use of this valuable technique. Because radiation exposure from diagnostic tests has received considerable notice—even before the recent incidents—it behooves all of us to employ our equipment judiciously,” AJNR’s Editor-in-Chief Mauricio Castillo said of this controversy and the need for the timely supplemental publication and podcast.
AJNR’s Podcasts are a new feature edited by C. Douglas Phillips. Regular postings will summarize each issue's most salient articles including the Editor's and Fellow's Journal Club choices. Special Collections are released on an open-access basis to provide a comprehensive source of imaging-related articles on a single topic. Previous Collections include “Imaging Acute Stroke and its Consequences,” edited by Pamela W. Schaefer and R. Gilberto González, and “Acute Stroke Intervention” edited by Colin P. Derdeyn and Avi Mazumdar, and “Percutaneous Vertebroplasty” edited by Mary E. Jensen and Joshua A. Hirsch. All are available through AJNR’s print-on-demand service (Brightdoc), allowing readers to order a full-color hard copy for just US $50.00, plus shipping.