Modifying technique cuts radiation dose for CTA

Reduced or no “padding” during ECG-triggered coronary CT angiography results in a substantial reduction in radiation dose without affecting image quality and interpretability, according to a study in the April American Journal of Roentgenology.

The study included 886 patients who underwent ECG-triggered coronary CTA with a padding duration of 0, 1 to 99, or 100 to 150 msec. Padding refers to the extra time added before and after the minimum time CTA must be on during each heartbeat.

Increased padding was associated with a greater radiation dose: a 45% increase per 100-msec increase in padding. No difference in image interpretability between padded and unpadded images was seen at the three sites: Weill Cornell Medical College in New York; Fairfax Radiology Associates in Fairfax, VA; and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC.