Answer to Question #13694 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Medical and Dental Patient Issues — Diagnostic X Ray and CT

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

Q

I recently had a computed tomography (CT) scan. The dose report stated there was one series of scans. When I looked at my images there were five series containing images from different angles. Does my dose report belong to one series of scans or all five series?

A

The CT dose report is for the entire exam. It is common to take one series of images and use the computer processing algorithms to create additional images from different angles. This allows the physician who is reading the scan to see everything in different ways without exposing the patient to additional radiation.  

Deirdre H. Elder, MS, CHP, CMLSO

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