Diagnostic imaging can provide important information to help your doctor diagnose and treat your health condition. However, some imaging procedures that use radiation carry a certain amount of risk. Because everyone is exposed to radiation daily from various sources — such as natural radiation in the environment, radiation in the atmosphere that comes from the sun and radon gas in our homes — it is very important to limit the amount of additional radiation exposure from diagnostic imaging.
At The Valley Hospital, we are committed to the safety of our patients and we pledge to:
- Significantly reduce the amount of radiation used
- Scan only when necessary
- Scan only the part of the body necessary to the test
- Scan once instead of using tests with and without contrast material (multi-phase scanning is rarely helpful in children, studies have found)
Children and Diagnostic Imaging: Image Gently
Valley is a proud sponsor of the national Image GentlyTM campaign, which promotes using the lowest dose of radiation possible during children’s CT scans that will still provide a good quality image.
Our radiologists and radiology professionals work together to reduce radiation exposure. They also educate referring physicians about the most appropriate imaging test for each child. For example, sometimes an MRI, which does not expose a child to radiation, can be substituted for a CT scan.