Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 11, 2026
Voluntary Breath-hold Technique for Reducing Heart Dose in Left Breast Radiotherapy
Published on: July 3, 2014
Radiation Dose Reduction in Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography
Esosa Odigie-Okon1, Olushola Ogunleye2, Ritika Saxena2
1Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, Texas, USA; The University of Texas Medical Branch, John Sealy School of Medicine, Galveston, Texas, USA.
Background:
Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is an American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Class Ia diagnostic test for chest pain evaluation, but radiation exposure limits its use.
Project Rationale:
By applying the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's "as low as reasonably achievable" principle and streamlining workflows using patient-specific scanning protocols, radiation dose can be reduced without sacrificing diagnostic accuracy.
Project Summary:
At The University of Texas Medical Branch satellite campus, we implemented standardized patient-specific computed tomography (CT) scanner protocols with a goal of reducing patient radiation and improving image quality. Comparison of pre- and postintervention scans from 146 patients revealed that the median radiation dose decreased by 63.4% (19.4 vs 7.1 mSv; P < 0.0001), with a greater decrease in women and a higher body mass index-to-dose correlation after intervention.
Take-Home Messages:
Standardized, patient-specific protocols for CCTA substantially reduce radiation dose. Implementing effective interventions requires understanding CT scanner capabilities, using vendor support, and maintaining consistent feedback loops between the imaging physician and the CT technologist.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT
01:10Computed Tomography
The technique was invented in the 1970s and is based on the principle that as X-rays pass through the body, they are absorbed or reflected at different levels. In the technique, a patient lies on a motorized platform while a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner rotates...
01:25Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System VI: Calcium -Scoring CT
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...
01:13Radiological Investigation III: Pulmonary Angiogram and PET Scan
Pulmonary Angiogram
A Pulmonary Angiogram is an invasive procedure involving injecting a contrast medium through a catheter threaded into the pulmonary artery or the right side of the heart to visualize the pulmonary vasculature. Computed Tomography (CT) scans have mainly replaced this...
01:30Radiological Investigation I: X-ray and CT