Radiation exposure in Cardiac CT

Cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) has emerged as a useful diagnostic imaging modality in the assessment of coronary artery disease. However, the potential risks due to exposure to ionizing radiation associated with CCTA have raised concerns. Several techniques such as "lower kVp", "step and shoot method" and "interative reconstruction" significantly reduce radiation dose without impairing image quality when compared with the standard retrospective helical data acquisition. These effective strategies to reduce radiation dose are available but some strategies are not frequently used. It is important to increase the use of dose-saving strategies in adequately selected patients.