title: CT scans in young people in Northern England: trends and patterns 1993-2002.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although CT can be greatly beneficial, its relatively high radiation doses have caused public health concerns.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess patterns in CT usage among patients aged less than 22 years in Northern England during the period 1993-2002.
  
  
  METHODS
  Electronic data were obtained from radiology information systems of all nine National Health Service trusts in the region.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 38,681 scans had been performed in 20,483 patients aged less than 22 years. The number of CT examinations rose, with the steepest increase between 1997 and 2000. The number of patients scanned per year increased less dramatically, with 2.24/1,000 population aged less than 22 years having one scan or more in 1993 compared to 3.54/1,000 in 2002. This reflects an increase in the median number of scans per patient, which rose from 1 in 1993 to 2 by 1999. More than 70% of CT examinations were of the head, with the number of head examinations varying with time and patient age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of CT scans in this population more than doubled during the study period. This is partly, but not wholly, explained by an increase in the number of scans per patient.
authors: Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Sir James Spence Institute, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK. m.s.pearce@ncl.ac.uk
authors: Mark S
authors: MS
authors: Pearce
authors: Jane A
authors: JA
authors: Salotti
authors: Kieran
authors: K
authors: McHugh
authors: Wenhua
authors: W
authors: Metcalf
authors: Kwang P
authors: KP
authors: Kim
authors: Alan W
authors: AW
authors: Craft
authors: Louise
authors: L
authors: Parker
authors: Elaine
authors: E
authors: Ron
references: Isr Med Assoc J. 2007 Aug;9(8):584-7
references: 17877063
references: Radiology. 2009 Nov;253(2):520-31
references: 19789227
references: AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1997 Oct;169(4):1011-4
references: 9308453
references: N Engl J Med. 2007 Nov 29;357(22):2277-84
references: 18046031
references: Pediatr Radiol. 2006 Jun;36(6):485-90
references: 16552588
references: Health Phys. 2008 Nov;95(5):502-7
references: 18849682
references: Br J Radiol. 2008 May;81(965):362-78
references: 18440940
references: BMJ. 2000 Mar 4;320(7235):593-4
references: 10698858
references: Radiology. 2004 Sep;232(3):735-8
references: 15273333
references: Radiat Med. 2006 Oct;24(8):560-7
references: 17041792
references: AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2001 Feb;176(2):297-301
references: 11159060
references: J Pediatr Surg. 2003 May;38(5):793-7
references: 12720196
references: Epilepsia. 2000 Aug;41(8):950-4
references: 10961619
references: Pediatr Radiol. 2009 Nov;39(11):1142-6
references: 19789861
references: Br J Radiol. 2001 Oct;74(886):926-31
references: 11675310
references: Eur Radiol. 2009 May;19(5):1161-5
references: 19156425
references: J Trauma. 2009 Jul;67(1):23-8
references: 19590303
references: J Am Coll Radiol. 2008 Feb;5(2):132-8
references: 18242530
references: Arch Intern Med. 2009 Dec 14;169(22):2071-7
references: 20008689
references: Arch Dis Child. 2007 Dec;92(12):1127-31
references: 18032642
references: Headache. 2000 Sep;40(8):629-32
references: 10971658
references: Pediatr Radiol. 2009 May;39(5):500-5
references: 19221730
references: J Child Neurol. 2009 Jun;24(6):656-63
references: 19168829
references: Br J Neurosurg. 1998 Aug;12(4):349-52
references: 10070429
references: Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2001 Jul-Aug;18(5):307-8
references: 11452401
references: Radiology. 2009 Apr;251(1):175-84
references: 19332852
references: Eur J Radiol. 2004 Jun;50(3):285-91
references: 15145489
references: AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2001 Feb;176(2):289-96
references: 11159059
references: J Neurosurg. 2006 Nov;105(5 Suppl):365-9
references: 17328259
references: J Radiol Prot. 2000 Dec;20(4):353-9
references: 11140709