Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41915041›Full record

ArticlePediatric radiology2026

Cumulative dose in pediatric CT "frequent flyers": cohort results and risk review.

Sjirk J Westra, Andrew E Ferretti, Theodore A Marschall, Xinhua Li, Kai Yang, Bob Liu, Madan M Rehani

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Pediatric radiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Sjirk J WestraDepartment of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, White 246, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. swestra@mgh.harvard.edu.
Andrew E FerrettiDepartment of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, White 246, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Theodore A MarschallDepartment of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, White 246, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Xinhua LiDepartment of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, White 246, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Kai YangDepartment of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, White 246, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Bob LiuDepartment of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, White 246, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Madan M RehaniDepartment of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, White 246, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPublished surveys have documented increasing cumulative radiation doses from the increased use of CT over recent decades, but pediatric data on this are sparse.

objectiveTo determine what percentage of pediatric patients receive a high cumulative effective dose (CED) from repeated CT scans in our practice, and to examine the reasons for this. MATERIALS AND

methodsOur dose monitoring software maintains a record of CED in all patients undergoing CT. Those who received a CED ≥50 mSv and ≥100 mSv were tabulated for further analysis. The highest dose outliers were flagged for analysis of clinical rationales of CT use, calculation of cumulative absorbed dose profiles, and outcomes.

resultsFrom 2013-2023, we performed CT in 10,199 patients aged 0-19 years, of whom 75% had one, 14% had two, 5% had three, 3% had four, and 3% had five or more CTs. Of our cohort, 97 (0.95%) reached the CED dose threshold of 50 mSv at age 16.0±3.0 (16.9) years [mean±SD (median)], and 20 (0.20%) also reached the 100 mSv threshold at age 16.2±1.8 (16.5) years. The highest CED values occurred in patients with serious and catastrophic conditions, in overweight adolescents, and because of repeated high-dose multiphasic acquisitions and CT-guided interventions.

conclusionMost of our patients (89%) had only 1-2 CT scans. Although only 0.95% and 0.20% of our pediatric patients experienced CEDs more than 50 mSv and 100 mSv (respectively) from repeated CT scans, these groups deserve close attention, as they often continue to accumulate doses throughout childhood and beyond.

Indexed as

Radiation DosageTomography, X-Ray ComputedAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolCohort StudiesFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleRisk AssessmentYoung AdultCancerChildren and young adultsComputed tomographyCumulative effective doseIonizing radiationRisk

Identifiers

PMID41915041

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.