Ultralow-Dose Chest Computed Tomography in Stable Blunt Trauma

With the increasing use of the “pan-scan” in trauma patients, several quality-improvement programs are seeking to decrease exposure to ionizing radiation. These authors tested whether ultralow-dose chest computed tomography (CT) was sensitive and specific compared to chest radiographs and conventional CT. Ultralow-dose chest CT uses iterative reconstruction to image the chest with lower radiation exposure than conventional CT.

Recruiting over 6 months at a single emergency department, the authors enrolled 160 hemodynamically stable adult patients with blunt trauma who presented when ultralow-dose CT was available. Patients first underwent chest radiography (often including rib views) and then underwent both ultralow-dose and traditional ches…