Unscientific, Irresponsible: IRIA flays AIIMS chief statement on CT Scan

The doctor had claimed that a CT scan can cause lung cancer. Stating that the radiation dose from a single CT chest is almost equivalent to the background radiation received by any person over the year, the association has condemned the comments by Guleria terming it to be " unscientific and irresponsible".

"The statement given by Dr Randeep is misleading and creates confusion among the public and his warning that one CT scan is equal to 300-400 X Rays and CT scans cause cancer is outdated and wrong", the radiology body said in a statement.

Strongly criticizing the claims, the association further explained, " Dr Randeep in his statement had claimed that one CT Chest is equal to 300-400 X rays. This is a very retrograde and was the situation 30-40 years ago. The modern CT Scanners use ultra low dose CT which has radiation comparable to only 5 – 10 x-rays. Radiologists all over the world follow the ALARA principle and give the minimal radiation possible during the scan. The medical investigations and treatment are also analysed based on the Risk vs Benefit Ratio and are very clear in this case the Benefit far outweighs the Risk which is almost non-existent."

In a recent release, signed by Prof.C.Amarnath, President of Indian Radiological and Imaging Association (IRIA), the association added that CT Chest helps to diagnose patients and early detection helps to start treatment and also stops them from being super spreaders. It is for this reason several state governments have asked the radiology departments to notify patients with CORADS score of 4 or 5. While RTPCR helps in the diagnosis, CT Chest helps to stage the severity of disease, especially in symptomatic patients. This score helps the clinicians decide if the patient can be in-home quarantine or needs hospital admission. CT Chest is helpful to stage the disease mild, moderate, or severe thereby contributing significantly in management.

The association stated that in the case of an unpredictable disease like COVID, a CT scan is of uttermost importance to identify the risk of the individuals because CT is more sensitive than saturation monitoring by pulse oximetry in detecting lung damage, in the early phase of the disease.

Adding that now young people present with happy hypoxia (when patients have low oxygen saturation but do not feel any symptoms) and they do not get alarmed till the disease has progressed with severe damage of lungs, the association suggested that CT Chest can be performed quickly especially in emergencies when RTPCR reports take time, and initiation of early treatment is a requirement.

Moreover, CT Chest also helps to diagnose several conditions that mimic Covid 19 like other bacterial and viral infections, cardiac failure etc. Thus, the association has defended the practice of CT scan and suggested that it should strongly be considered during the pandemic in the initial assessment of COVID-19.