One of the barriers against using a weight-based dose, is that the CT technologists fear it will take more time. The numbers in the lookup table can be memorized by the CT technologists, so there is virtually no extra time needed to use the look-up table. It takes extra time to type the parameters for injection rate and scan delay into the power injector machine. Our own CT technologists were initially reluctant to switch to using the weight-based contrast doses, but with experience, they estimate that the extra time is less than one minute per patient . There are several advantages to using a weight-based contrast dose.
All patents get a uniformly good quality scan .
Radiologist's dose variability can be eliminated . Radiology groups big and small, are familiar with the difficulties in getting a group of radiologists to agree on a technical parameter. Other radiologists will want to use 150ml, since higher doses give better quality scans. If a CT practice allows its radiologists to individually determine their own dose prescriptions, the result will be an unpredictable mixture of doses. Our own CT practice once had this problem.