FDA to Hold Public Meeting on Excessive CT Radiation

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will hold a public meeting March 30-31 to discuss what CT manufacturers and other vendors can do to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure. The day-long meetings will take place at the Holiday Inn Gaithersburg in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Registration is free and on a first-come, first-served basis.

According to the FDA’s federal notice, the goal of the meeting is “to receive public input on steps manufacturers of CT and flouroscopic devices should take to help reduce unnecessary patient exposure to ionizing radiation from these medical imaging modalities.”

Day 1 will focus on equipment features that manufacturers should incorporate into CT scanners (morning session) and fluoroscopes (afternoon session). Day 2 will focus on steps manufacturers should take to improve training of individuals who use these devices (morning session) and steps to improve quality assurance at medical imaging facilities with respect to these two modalities (afternoon session).

Anyone interested in attending should email CDRHImagingInitiative@fda.hhs.gov. Include your name, title, organization, address, email, and phone number. Registration requests must be received by March 15, 2010.

Related seminar: Radiation Overexposure: Are Your Patients at Risk?