WEDNESDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- The use of diagnostic imaging procedures with ionizing radiation appears to be common among children, according to a study published online Jan. 3 in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
In a retrospective cohort study, Adam L. Dorfman, M.D., of the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, and colleagues identified 355,088 individuals younger than 18 years of age who were continuously enrolled in UnitedHealthcare during Jan. 1, 2005, and Dec. 31, 2007.
The researchers found that 436,711 imaging procedures using ionizing radiation were performed in 150,930 individuals (42.5 percent). The highest rates of use of ionizing radiation occurred in children older than 10 years of age, with frequent use occurring in infants younger than 2 years. The investigators found that plain radiography accounted for 84.7 percent of imaging procedures, with computed tomography imaging accounting for 11.9 percent of all procedures. In addition, 7.9 percent of children received at least one computed tomography scan, and 3.5 percent underwent two or more scans.
"These results highlight the importance of generating data-based guidelines to aid clinicians in determining the appropriateness of performing imaging procedures in children," the authors write.
One author disclosed financial relationships with medical device and other companies; another author disclosed serving on the scientific advisory board for UnitedHealthcare.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Copyright © 2011 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Join the Doctors Lounge online medical community
Editorial activities: Publish, peer review, edit online articles.Ask a Doctor Teams: Respond to patient questions and discuss challenging presentations with other members.Doctors Lounge Membership Application
No comments:
Post a Comment