Medical implants and CT exposure
The following question has been sent by Judy Oltman, CTA Technologist, USA:
Medical implants and CT exposure: The articles concerning the use of CT scans and the malfunction of implanted medical devices are vague. They don’t give parameters of kVP, patient body habitus, and or types of scans. I have searched for some guidelines and only found comments concerning CT fluro, test bolus or bolus tracking. The reactionary effect has already started at my facility. Can someone comment on any references or experiences that give more exact parameters?
Stephan Achenbach, MD, Professor of Medicine, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg:
As to my knowledge (which is only second hand), malfunction of devices only occur if they are repeatedly subjected to long duration of x ray exposure. This may be the case for example in interventional CT procedures. A stabdard CT scan is no problem. In many thousand cardiac CT scans, I have never ever seen a malfunction of a pacemaker or ICD, and I do not know of anyone who has. This is not exactly strong science, admittedly.
