Striking the balance : optimisation of diagnostic quality and radiation safety in chest CT imaging

Abstract

Ensuring the optimal balance between diagnostic quality and radiation safety in computerised tomography (CT) scans remains a paramount concern in medical imaging research. Optimisation efforts are particularly crucial for examinations with high radiation doses, frequently repeated, or in common clinical use, aiming to mitigate risks while preserving diagnostic efficacy. Optimisation strategies should be evaluated for both radiation dose reduction and image quality related to diagnostic efficacy, shifting the balance of performing the examination towards the benefits of the examination whilst reducing the risks. Chest CT scans, vital for diagnosing, treating, and monitoring lung diseases, exemplify this need for optimisation. Given their relatively high radiation doses and frequent application, ongoing optimisation efforts are essential to minimise radiation exposure without compromising diagnostic accuracy. The effective doses from diagnostic CT examinations are typically estimated to be in the range of 1 to 10 mSv compared to a chest X-ray examination of approximately 0.1 mSv. Optimisation of CT examinations should be ongoing, continuously finding innovative ways of limiting the radiation dose whilst maintaining diagnostic image quality.