Improving Lens Protection in CT Head Imaging: A Multisite Audit to Reduce Iatrogenic Cataract Risk

CT head scans are among the most frequently requested imaging studies in both emergency and outpatient medicine. While they offer rapid and critical diagnostic insight, they also come with a less visible risk: unintended radiation exposure to the eyes. The ocular lens is one of the most radiosensitive tissues in the human body. Even a single exposure to ionising radiation can increase the risk of cataract formation, and there is evidence that with repeated imaging, the risk accumulates. National guidance from bodies such as the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) recommends that the lenses be excluded from the scan field whenever clinically appropriate.