title: Changes in radiological imaging frequencies in children before and after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant has raised concerns about radiation exposure, including medical radiation exposure such as X-ray and CT, in residents of Fukushima.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared the numbers and the ratio of outpatients less than 10 years old who underwent imaging examinations [e.g., CT, X-ray, MRI, ultrasonography (US), etc.] at Fukushima Medical University hospital in Fukushima, Japan before (April 1, 2008-March 31, 2011) and after (April 1, 2011-March 31, 2014) the accident.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of outpatients less than 10 years old decreased after the accident. The number of outpatients less than 10 years old who underwent CT and X-ray examinations also significantly decreased after the accident (p < 0.001, p < 0.01, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that the number of pediatric radiological examinations decreased after the accident in Fukushima. We should continue to communicate with patients and their families to ensure that they understand the risks and benefits of radiological imaging in order to overcome their concerns about the nuclear disaster.
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.|Education Center for Disaster Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Division of Promotion of Collaborative Research on Radiation and Environment Health Effects, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayashida
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohtsuru
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohba
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Disaster Medicine, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Arifumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shishido
authors.affiliation: Education Center for Disaster Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Kiyotaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.affiliation: Education Center for Disaster Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumagai
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Technology, Fukushima Medical University Hospital, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yusa
authors.affiliation: Department of Radioisotope Medicine, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Medical Sciences, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan. takamura@nagasaki-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takamura
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Children; Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident; Fukushima Prefecture; Radiation exposure; Radiological examination