By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Not all kids need
a CT scan after a blunt trauma to the abdomen, according to a
new study that identifies seven key signs to help doctors decide
when a scan is unnecessary. CT scans are becoming commonplace in
emergency rooms, but they aren't harmless. Each scan delivers a
dose of radiation that slightly increases a person's long-term
risk of cancer - a risk that's especially heightened for
children. The key, researchers said, is determining when a CT
will help doctors make an important diagnosis - and is therefore
worth the risk - and when it is unlikely to benefit a young
patient's care. "An abdominal CT is the highest CT exposure for
kids, and the younger the kid, the higher the exposure," said
Dr. James Holmes, who led the new study at the University of
California, Davis School of Medicine. "This is the big radiation
risk, and (parents) need to be aware that if their child really
needs the image, they should get it. But if there's no good
reason, they shouldn