CT Scan Risks and Side Effects

 CT scan is a very low-risk procedure.

 The patient will be exposed to radiation when undergoing a CT scan.

However, it is a safe level.
 The biggest potential risk is with a contrast (also called dye) injection
that is sometimes used in CT scanning. This contrast can help
distinguish normal tissues from abnormal tissues. It also helps to help
distinguish blood vessels from other structures such as lymph nodes.
Like any medication, some people can have a serious allergic
reaction to the contrast. The chance of a fatal reaction to the contrast is
about 1 in 100,000. Those at increased risk may require special
pretreatment and should have the test in a hospital setting. Anyone who
has had a prior contrast reaction or severe allergic reaction to other
medications, has asthma or emphysema, or has severe heart disease is
at increased risk for a contrast reaction and is referred to a hospital X-
ray department for the exam. Besides an allergic reaction, the
intravenous dye can damage the kidneys, particularly if an individual
already has marginal kidney disease. Usually, the patient is advised to
drink plenty of fluids to help flush the dye out of their system.
 Any time an injection is done into a vein, there is a risk of the contrast
leaking outside of the vein under the skin. If a large amount of contrast
 leaks under the skin, in rare cases, this can cause the skin to break
down.

 Slightly increased risk of cancer

 You’ll be exposed to radiation during the test. The amount of radiation is
higher than the amount used with an X-ray. As a result, an abdominal
CT scan slightly increases your risk of cancer.
 However, keep in mind that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA)Trusted Source estimates that any one person’s risk of cancer
from a CT scan is much lower than their risk of getting cancer naturally.
 Harvard Men's Health Watch

 Do CT scans cause cancer?

 Published: March, 2013

 For older men the risk from diagnostic CT scans is relatively small.

 By one estimate, Americans have more than 70 million CT scans every year.
This raises a concern: The scans expose people to x-rays, and this so-called
ionizing radiation can damage cells and lead to cancer down the road. But for
older men, CT scanning does not present a great risk compared with the benefits
of diagnostic scans.

 "Radiation-related risk in anyone above 65 years of age from a diagnostic CT of

the chest or abdomen is negligible to none," says Dr. Dushyant V. Sahani,
associate professor at Harvard Medical School and director of CT imaging at
Massachusetts General Hospital. "The doses are very low and the time it takes
cancer to develop can be 20 years or more."

 Still, you should have only the scans that are necessary, and choose alternatives
that don't require radiation exposure when possible.

 CT radiation and cancer

 Our understanding of the hazards of radiation comes from studies of the

survivors of the atomic bombings of Japan. Scientists calculate the risk of cancer
based on the amount of radiation that survivors were exposed to and how many
of them later developed cancer.

 The dose of radiation received per diagnostic scan is measured in millisieverts

(mSv). We are all exposed to some amount of natural radiation from the sun,
 from the earth, and even from some natural chemicals in our body. The average
natural background radiation in the United States is 3.7 mSv per year. A simple
chest x-ray (two views) exposes a person to an average of 0.01 mSv, or roughly
the amount of radiation you get in a day from the natural background.

 CT doses are higher. The exposure from a standard chest CT is 7 mSv.

However, Dr. Sahani notes, with smart use of modern scanners to minimize the
dose, the actual exposure can be closer to 4 mSv. A 15-second, low-dose chest
CT to check for undiagnosed lung cancer delivers as little as 1.5 mSv.

 How much is too much?

 The more scans you have, the higher your lifetime exposure and therefore the
higher your risk. The American College of Radiology recommends limiting
lifetime diagnostic radiation exposure to 100 mSv. That is equal to 10,000 chest
x-rays, or up to 25 chest CTs.

 In the course of treatment for various chronic diseases, including cancer, you
could accumulate enough CTs to approach the 100 mSv limit. That's because the
care may require repeated follow-up scans to determine how well treatment is
working and to watch for cancer recurrence. In this case, the threat of the
existing cancer outweighs the risk posed by the CT scans.

 What is your risk?

 The body regions where CT-related cancer is most likely to occur are the chest,
abdomen, and pelvis, where faster-growing cells are more vulnerable to
radiation. The lifetime risk posed by a single abdominal CT of 8 mSv is calculated
to be 0.05%, or a one in 2,000 chance of developing cancer. Now consider that
the lifetime risk of dying from cancer, no matter what the cause, is about one in
four and rises with age. The added CT risk is a blip, barely above the background
rate.

 The reason is that if you have your CTs in middle age and later in life, it can take
decades for the radiation exposure to end in cancer. In contrast, a child or young
adult has a long enough lifespan ahead that the radiation from repeated CTs is
more likely to lead to cancer.

 Even though the benefits of CTs in adult men, particularly those older than 50,
may outweigh the risks, no one—even a man in his 70s or 80s—should have
CTs without a good reason. "We always need to be cautious with ionizing
radiation," Dr. Sahani says. "If you don't need more, why get it?" Have only the
scans you need, in a modern diagnostic imaging facility that delivers only the
dose required.

Lifetime risk of death per 1,000 people

Cause of death Deaths per 1,000 people

Cancer not related to radiation exposure 228

Motor vehicle accident 12

Living with a smoker 10

Exposure to average level of radon gas in U.S. home 3

Drowning 0.9

One abdominal CT scan 0.5 (one in 2,000)

Common radiation exposure sources

Exposure Dose

Dental x-ray 0.005 mSv

Chest x-ray 0.01 mSv

Head CT 2 mSv

U.S. average background radiation exposure (annual) 3.7 mSv

Chest CT 4-7 mSv

Abdominal CT 8 mSv