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Dose measurements using thermoluminescent dosimeters and DoseCal software at two paediatric hospitals in Rio de
K E M Mohamadain1, A C P Azevedo, L A R da Rosa
1FIOCRUZ-Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Rua Leopoldo Bulhões 1480, Manguinhos, CEP 21041-210, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Insights
This study measured pediatric chest X-ray doses using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) and software. Results show good agreement for AP and PA views, aiding radiation dose assessment in pediatric radiology.
Area of Science:
- Medical Physics
- Radiological Dosimetry
- Pediatric Imaging
Background:
- Accurate radiation dose assessment is crucial in pediatric radiology.
- Paediatric patients require specific dosimetric considerations due to their radiosensitivity and smaller size.
- Establishing reliable methods for measuring entrance skin dose (ESD) is essential for optimizing radiation protection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the entrance skin dose (ESD) for paediatric patients undergoing chest X-ray examinations.
- To compare dose measurements obtained using different types of thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) and a software package.
- To evaluate the accuracy of dose estimations across various X-ray projections (AP, PA, LAT) and age groups.
Main Methods:
- A dosimetric survey was conducted at two major hospitals in Rio de Janeiro.
- Chest X-ray doses were measured in 100 paediatric patients using TLDs (LiF:Mg,Ti, CaSO4:Dy, LiF:Mg,Cu,P) and in another 100 patients using DoseCal software.
- Measurements were performed for AP, PA, and LAT projections across age intervals of 0-1, 1-5, 5-10, and 10-15 years.
Main Results:
- Dose measurements obtained with the three types of TLDs showed similar results.
- The TLD measurements were in good agreement with the DoseCal software, particularly for AP and PA projections.
- Some discrepancies were observed for the LAT projection, indicating potential areas for further investigation.
Conclusions:
- Thermoluminescent dosimetry provides reliable measurements for paediatric chest X-ray doses.
- The DoseCal software is a viable tool for estimating paediatric radiation doses, with good agreement for standard projections.
- Further refinement may be needed for accurate dose assessment in lateral paediatric chest X-ray examinations.
Abstract:
A dosimetric survey in paediatric radiology is currently being carried out at the paediatric units of two large hospitals in Rio de Janiero city: IPPMG (Instituto de Pediatria e Puericultura Martagão Gesteira, University Hospital of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) and IFF (Instituto Fernandes Figueira, FIOCRUZ). Chest X-ray examination doses for AP, PA and LAT projections of paediatric patients have been obtained with thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) and with use of a software package DoseCal. In IPPMG and IFF 100 patients have been evaluated with the use of the TLDs and another group of 100 patients with the DoseCal software. The aim of this work was to estimate the entrance skin dose (ESD) for frontal, back and lateral chest X-rays exposure of paediatric patients. For ESD evaluation, three different TL dosimeters have been used, namely LIF:Mg,Ti (TLD100), CaSO4:Dy and LiF:Mg,Cu,P (TLD100H). The age intervals considered were 0-1, 1-5, 5-10 and 10-15 years. The results obtained with all dosimeters are similar, and it is in good agreement with the DoseCal software, especially for AP and PA projections. However, some larger discrepancies are presented for the LAT projection.