© Andrew Testa/The New York Times A push to reduce unnecessary
radiation exposure from CT scans, above, nuclear medicine
studies, and fluoroscopies. The FDA has announced a plan to
reduce patients' unnecessary exposure to radiation from three
different medical imaging tests. The three-pronged strategy will
focus on increasing the safety of the devices, increasing
patient awareness of risks, and improving the ability of
patients and doctors to make informed decisions. The tests in
question are computed tomography (CT) scans, nuclear medicine
studies and fluoroscopy. CT scans produce three-dimensional
images of different areas of the body, nuclear medicine studies
involve consumption of a radioactive substance to observe its
motion through the body, and fluoroscopy uses a continuous beam
of radiation to produce a real-time, moving image. "The FDA
continues to support a strong dialogue between patients and
physicians over the medical necessity and risk associated with
these types of imaging studies," the agency