Are CT Scans dangerous?
CT scans work by exposing an object to x-ray radiation. Instead of a 2-D snapshot like a traditional X-ray, dozens or hundreds of “slices” are shot, which are then reconstructed by the computer to generate an image. All radiation exposure is potentially hazardous. What determines how dangerous it is depends on the amount (dose), frequency, area of the body exposed, patient characteristics (size, weight, etc), and pre-existing risk factors (e.g. family history of cancers). One measurement of the the biologic effect of radiation is the milisievert (mSv). One chest X-ray is equivalent to 2.4 days of natural radiation exposure, which is approximately 0.02 mSv. A CT scan typically produces between 1 to 10 mSv of radiation, depending on the body part scanned. An abdominal CT produces 10 mSv, which is equivalent to about 500 X-rays or 3.3 years worth of natural radiation! Chest CT is somewhere around 5 mSv. There is a growing awareness in the medical community that CT scans may lead to an inc
