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Medical imaging has been proven to save lives and spare more invasive diagnostic procedures, such as exploratory surgery. Thus, imaging procedures with ionizing radiation should be used when clinically appropriate and be performed using the lowest radiation dose necessary to accomplish the clinical task. However, reduction of radiation dose without regard to its effects on image quality is potentially harmful to the patient and may compromise appropriate medical care. Qualified medical physicists, imaging physicians, physician extenders, radiologic technologists, and imaging equipment vendors should work together to develop optimized protocols that appropriately balance the medical benefits from a diagnostic quality exam with the potential risk from ionizing radiation.
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