FDA Aims to Crack Down on Radiation Overexposure

X-rays and their advanced cousins, CT scans, have no doubt revolutionized medicine and public health for the better. Instead of accidents or health mysteries requiring exploratory surgery, the images provided by X-rays allow doctors to identify and explore injuries or illnesses quickly, and relatively cheaply and painlessly. The scans can allow doctors to assess traumas, stomach pain, recurring headaches and other problems. But with these advancements come worries, also, and though systems have already been put in place to protect people from the resulting radiation exposure from X-rays, the Food and Drug Administration now believes the government should be doing even more to reduce exposure to radiation.

This week the FDA announced that it wants the manufacturers who make the scanning equipment to incorporate new controls that can prevent patients from receiving too much radiation. The FDA will also target other imaging techniques that expose patients to radiation, like nuclear medicine and fluoroscopy. But CT scans seem to be the most troubling, since they can emit as much as 400 times the amount of radiation as a regular X-ray. Officials are worried that people are being exposed to too much radiation at increasingly growing rates. The FDA move to tighten the reins comes after patients at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles were exposed to enough radiation that it caused symptoms like hair loss and skin redness.

According to a statement from Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, "The amount of radiation Americans are exposed to from medical imaging has dramatically increased over the past 20 years. The goal of FDA's initiative is to support the benefits associated with medical imaging while minimizing the risks."

Indeed, medical experts warn that patients should not insist on certain medical imaging procedures if their doctors deem them unnecessary. While imaging procedures like X-rays and CT scans can help diagnose untreated conditions, patients often forget or are unaware of the fact that they carry risks, also. In announcing its intention to create tighter controls, the FDA also came out in support of a national database that would record information about radiation levels, and could be used to establish health standards and benchmarks. Other standards the FDA is considering implementing include further training for technicians, and warning users when a radiation dosage exceeds the optimal amount for most patients.

Through these efforts, the FDA is aiming for a more balanced public health viewpoint when it comes to widely used procedures like X-rays and CT scans. The organization will also hold a public meeting at the end of March to receive comments and feedback on additional safety requirements to incorporate for medical device manufacturers.