ASNC offers tips to reduce MPI radiation

The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) has published a new set of recommendations to reduce radiation exposure for patients undergoing myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) procedures.

The guidelines focus on patient selection, test selection, and technology adoption, and they summarize best practices to minimize radiation exposure without adversely affecting image quality or clinical benefits to the patient.

The recommendations ask physicians to consider three questions when ordering and performing MPI tests:

  1. Is MPI testing appropriate and necessary in this patient?
  2. How can the MPI protocol be optimized to give the lowest radiation dose while maintaining diagnostic accuracy?
  3. How can new technologies be utilized to provide the lowest possible radiation dose while maintaining diagnostic accuracy?

If the recommendations are implemented by the nuclear cardiology community, radiation exposure to patients undergoing MPI tests could be reduced to an average of 9 mSv or less in 50% of studies by 2014, the authors concluded.

"Recommendations for Reducing Radiation Exposure in Myocardial Perfusion Imaging" will be published in the July-August issue of the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology.

Related Reading

CMS corrects codes, raises MPI, CT fees, May 7, 2010

New guidelines address cardiac nuclear imaging, August 19, 2003

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