A comparison of computed tomography practice in 1989 and 1991

In December 1991, the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) published the results of national surveys of the frequency, quality assurance and dosimetric aspects of computed tomography (CT) examinations carried out in hospitals in the UK in 1989. A study of the patient records at two of the original participating hospitals was undertaken to establish whether there had been any change in CT practice between the years 1989 and 1991. Aspects of examination frequency, age distribution and dose were analysed. The results showed significant variations in the patient age distributions between the sub-population studied and the larger sample used by the NRPB, and between the patient age distribution for CT examinations in the years 1989 and 1991 at the two hospitals in this study. The results also showed that in one hospital, where magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was available and where dose reduction measures had been implemented, there was a net decrease in the collective effective dose from 1989 to 1991, whilst at the other hospital, where MRI was not available and where the introduction of dose saving strategies had been delayed, there was a substantial increase in the collective effective dose from 1989 to 1991. The possibility of continuing increases in the annual collective effective dose attributable to CT underlines the importance of local CT audit to ensure that CT doses are as low as reasonably achievable.