Radiation dose to premature infants in neonatal intensive care units in Kuwait

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Pediatric Radiology
• Radiation Protection

Background:

• Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) frequently utilize X-ray examinations for premature infants.
• Accurate estimation of radiation doses is crucial for optimizing patient safety in pediatric populations.
• Limited data exists on radiation dosimetry for specific X-ray examinations in premature infants in the Kuwaiti population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the entrance surface dose (ESD) and effective dose (E) for premature infants undergoing standard X-ray examinations (abdominal, chest, skull) in Kuwait.
• To compare these estimated doses with established international benchmarks.
• To assess the associated risk of childhood cancer following multiple X-ray exposures during NICU stays.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a simple water phantom to simulate infant anatomy for dose measurements.
• Conducted three standard X-ray examinations: abdominal, chest, and skull.
• Employed normalized organ dose datasets from the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) to calculate effective doses.

Main Results:

• Entrance surface doses (ESD) ranged from 58-102 microGy (abdominal), 51-102 microGy (chest), and 58-145 microGy (skull).
• Effective doses (E) ranged from 30-46 microSv (abdominal), 20-36 microSv (chest), and 8-18 microSv (skull) per examination.
• Estimated childhood cancer risk for infants receiving 25 X-ray examinations was (9-117) x 10(-6).

Conclusions:

• The measured radiation doses for X-ray examinations in premature infants in Kuwait are comparable to international levels.
• The effective doses and associated cancer risks highlight the importance of radiation dose optimization in neonatal imaging.
• Further research and implementation of dose reduction strategies are recommended for pediatric patients in NICUs.