Doctors reduce radiation exposure in brain injury patientsRSS Feed

A clinical study in the US has revealed how sufferers of strokes - a major cause of acquired brain injury - could be exposed to less radiation during computed tomography (CT), angiography (CTA) and CT perfusion scans.

The team from the New York Presbyterian Hospital examined patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage, a form of stroke that leads to death or severe brain injury.

An algorithm was used to predict the optimum time to perform the CT scans by guiding the doctors to when a vasospasm might occur. Vasospasms are conditions in which the blood vessels spasm causing them to narrow.

Lead author of the study Michael L Loftus explained that the overall number of CT perfusion exams decreased by 32.1 per cent with 12.1 per cent lowering in cumulative radiation exposure.

"Our results are promising, showing that guidelines for utilisation of CT can lead to reduced radiation exposure of individual patients and the population. Our overall goal is to apply to other patient populations this concept of imaging algorithms as utilisation guidelines for CT," Mr Loftus commented.

Subarachnoid haemorrhages occur when a brain aneurysm ruptures and causes bleeding in the compartment surrounding the brain (the subarachnoid space).

News brought to you by Serious Law, specialists in acquired brain injury

Posted by Matthew Heap

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