Computed tomography use in a large italian region: Trend analysis 2004-2014 of emergency and outpatient ct examinations in children and adults

Objectives To analyse CT use in recent years in a high-density Italian area (±10 million inhabitants, including 1 million children), focusing on developing age. Methods Retrospective analysis of records from HealthCare IT System, covering >400 hospitals and clinics. Description of CT use between 2004–2014 in emergency and outpatient care and assessment of radiation exposure trend. Results Over 9 million scans were performed. Emergency procedures showed a global increase of 230 %, mainly head examinations. In the global outpatient setting, the annual number of CT scans/person increased ±19 %. A moderate increase in CT examinations was observed in the developing age population, while a remarkable increase in dental, chest and abdominal procedures occurred for the 10-to 30-year age range. The increase in mean annual dose/capita in the global patient pool was approximately 42 %, increasing from 0.72–1.03 mSv. The population rate receiving an annual CT radiation dose/capita higher than 1 mSv tripled in the 11-year interval, increasing from 16– 48 %. Conclusions The remarkable increase in radiation exposure raises a special concern for teenagers and young adults, whose risk tends to be underestimated. The fivefold increase in dental CTs in the younger age groups requires further investigations.