Research has shown that a single computed tomography (CT) scan, although necessary in many cases, exposes a patient to a higher risk of developing cancer over his or her lifetime. A second CT scan doubles that risk. Often in trauma cases at small hospitals, a patient receives one CT scan, then is transferred to a larger hospital where a second one is performed.
According to a study published last year by JAMA Pediatrics, “Use of CT in pediatrics, combined with the wide variability in radiation doses, has resulted in many children receiving a high-dose examination.”
A National Cancer Institute study published in 2009 projected that CT scans would cause 29,000 excess cancer cases and 14,500 (or 50%) excess deaths over the lifetime of those exposed. The Institute says, “Children are considerably more sensitive to radiation than adults because of their growing bodies and the rapid pace at which the cells in their bodies divide.”
“Cancer develops over time. Children have more life years ahead for this to occur. Minimizing radiation exposure is paramount,” says Joel E. Barthelemy, Founder and Managing Director of GlobalMed. GlobalMed’s CapSure Cloud application can eliminate a second radiation dose by making an initial CT scan available to all healthcare providers involved in a patient’s care. Once the images are uploaded to the secure cloud imaging server from the originating hospital, the sign-on information can be shared with specialists at the receiving hospital so they can view the study. In emergency cases, this means the team at the receiving hospital can be prepared for the patient’s arrival and go directly to the OR.
