Mezrich JL, Siegel EL.
Americans have heightened fears of radiation, including that emitted by diagnostic imaging equipment. The origins of these fears lie in the nation's history of nuclear bombs and plant meltdowns. These fears were fueled in 2009, when it was learned that a California hospital had exposed more than 200 brain scan patients to abnormally high doses of radiation, subjecting many to skin burns, hair loss, and increased risk for long-term radiation effects [
1]. This disclosure came close on the heels of another California incident in which a 2-year-old boy underwent more than 1 hour of scanning for posttraumatic neck pain [
2]. These unfortunate incidents highlighted the lack of controls in place with respect to radiation dose and contributed to a renewed legislative and regulatory focus on addressing radiation concerns.