Dose Reduction Strategies in CT

To avoid unnecessary radiation exposure, the as low as reasonable achievable (ALARA) principle should always be applied. CT should be ordered only when the results are expected to affect patient care. Nonionizing alternatives, such as ultrasound and MRI, must also be considered. The ACR Appropriateness Criteria are specific evidence-based recommendations for assisting providers in making the most appropriate imaging decision based on the given clinical situation. Decision support systems have been developed for this purpose. After application of the ACR Appropriateness Criteria to identify CT as the best clinical approach, the best measures that can be implemented to facilitate decreasing tube potential, automatic current modulation, and CT postprocessing as well as the use of novel CT scanners enabling dual energy scanning and delivering various values.