Monday, November 30 | 8:30 a.m.-8:55 a.m. | RC208-01 | Room S102AB
This refresher course on optimizing CT for pulmonary embolism will review a number of practical radiation dose reduction techniques.Dr. Aaron Sodickson, PhD, from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School will demonstrate ways to optimize CT settings and contrast administration to achieve the best CT scans with high image quality and low radiation doses.
From practical tips to x-ray tube output metrics, CT dose index volume (CTDIvol), and dose-length product calculations, the course will focus on "those patients in whom the decision has been made to image," Sodickson said.
![Axial images from unenhanced calcium score cardiac CT (left) and curved planar reformation images from CT angiography (right) show that higher long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with greater coronary artery calcium and more obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Top row: Images in a 68-year-old male patient with higher 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (7.9 μg/m3 for particulate matter measuring ≤2.5 μm in diameter [PM2.5] and 17.4 parts per billion [ppb] for NO2) with extensive CAD (coronary artery calcium score [CACS] >1,000 and obstructive CAD [≥70% diameter stenosis]). Bottom row: Images in a 57-year-old female patient with lower 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (6.3 μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 4.6 ppb for NO2) with no CAD (CACS = 0 and no obstructive stenosis).](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/06/hanneman.r6SMLzkezo.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
