Which has stronger radiation a CAT scan or chest X-ray?

Answer 1

One chest CT is around 10 millisieverts of radiation. A traditional chest X-ray is only 0.02 millisieverts. Therefore a CT scan has 5,000 times the radiation dose of a chest x-ray.

A typical patient who visits the emergency room receives a cumulative radiation dose of 40 millisieverts over a five-year period. Ten percent of patients end up with 100 or more millisieverts. Both levels are well above the safety threshold for lifetime radiation exposure. Exposures above the threshold leave patients vulnerable to increased long-term risk of cancer.

Some reports suggest about one third of all CT scans may be unnecessary. Overuse of these tests may be a significant factor in raising the total public risk of cancer. Some researchers note that while the risks of cancer from CT scans remain low, the increased incidence of cancer may be considerable. To balance image quality with these safety concerns, radiologists use a protocol known as the ALARA principle, short for As Low As Reasonably Achievable. It's meant to keep CT dose factors low to minimize risk while maintaining maximum diagnostic benefit.

Patients are advised to ask their doctors if another diagnostic exam could be used instead of a CT scan. Ultrasound and MRI, for example, do not emit the same sort of harmful radiation. Manufacturers have added adjustable dosage settings on the CT scanning equipment that take into account a patient's size and weight. Patients should inquire if technicians operating the machines are trained to minimize radiation exposure while still providing accurate images.