Computed tomography dose optimization.

Use of computed tomography (CT) as a medical diagnostic imaging tool has increased in recent decades because of its technical advances in data acquisition speed and image reconstruction technology. The increased reliance on CT was accompanied by increased patient exposure to ionizing radiation, however, and concerns among radiologic professionals and the public regarding CT dose resulted in increasing attention to dose reduction. Research and education efforts have addressed many of these concerns, and radiologic technologists play a critical role in optimizing image quality and radiation dose in CT for individual patients and for the industry in general.