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According to a study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology, prospective electrocardiogram (ECG) gating allows radiologists to significantly reduce the patient radiation dose delivered during computed tomography (CT) angiography.

The compared the use of retrospective ECG gating (when the radiation beam is on constantly) and prospective ECG gating (when the radiation beam is turned on only intermittently) during CT angiography.

Forty patients were evaluated using retrospective gating and 40 more were evaluated using prospective gating. "In comparison, image quality was equivalent," said W. Dennis Foley, MD, lead author of the study. "In regards to radiation dose, the dose was three times higher with retrospective gating," he said. The radiation dose using prospective gating was approximately 14 mSv compared to 43.3 mSv using retrospective gating.

"Prospective ECG-gated CT angiography is a technically robust, noninvasive imaging technique for the evaluation of vascular disease. It is safer than conventional angiography and the patient benefits from having it done intravenously rather than through the arteries," he said.

The study was performed at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

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Source: ARRS