New Cardiac CT Can Lower Radiation Exposure in Children

New cardiac CT techniques deliver images that are equal in accuracy but expose children to much lower radiation doses than traditional scans, according to scientists.The new technology, called coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA), is expected “significantly decrease” the need for anesthesia and the invasive access risk of coronary imaging, according to researchers.

CTA images, they explained, are acquired without having to access the heart, and all patients age seven or older do not require sedation for the procedure.

Furthermore, CTA can be tailored to decrease certain risks for individual patients, depending on their health and circumstances.

Because children tend to have higher heart rates, it is typically necessary to administer beta blockade medication to slow their heart in order to get clearer images.

The procedure can lower radiation exposure by seven-fold, the researchers said.