Comparison of four methods for assessing patient effective dose from radiological examinations

Three methods of indirect effective dose estimation were reviewed and compared to a direct effective dose determination method. An anthropomorphic phantom and thermoluminescence dosimetry were used to obtain dosimetric data associated with anterior-posterior (AP) abdominal radiography, posterior-anterior (PA) chest radiography, PA head radiography, and AP heart fluoroscopy. Effective dose was determined using: (i) organ specific dose values directly determined by thermoluminescence dosimeters, (ii) data published by National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) and entrance surface dose (ESD), (iii) NRPB data and dose area product (DAP), (iv) energy imparted derived from DAP. The effective dose values estimated from the Rando phantom measurements were 161, 32.3, and 8.4 microSv/projection for the abdomen, chest, and head radiographs, respectively. Cardiac fluoroscopy yielded an effective dose value of 111 microSv/min. The effective dose values obtained indirectly using NRPB data and DAP were in good agreement with directly assessed values in all simulated exposures (difference <8%). The effective doses using NRPB data and ESD values differed from directly assessed values by less than 15% for the radiographic exposures and 60% for heart fluoroscopy. The energy imparted method yielded 136, 31, and 6.6 microSv/projection for the abdomen, chest, and head radiographs, respectively, and 111 microSv/min for heart fluoroscopy. Indirect patient effective dose determination using the NRPB dosimetric data and the measured value of incident radiation allows for reliable patient effective dose estimates. The use of DAP rather than ESD is recommended because it yields accurate results even for complex radiologic exposures involving fluoroscopy. The value of energy imparted may be used for the accurate determination of patient effective dose, especially when specific organ dose values are not of interest. The calculation of energy imparted with the use of EAP provides a reliable starting point for estimation of effective dose from radiologic examinations for which dosimetric data are not provided by NRPB.