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Cumulative effective doses delivered by radiographs to preterm infants in a neonatal intensive care unit

Jean Donadieu1, Abdelkrim Zeghnoun, Candice Roudier

  • 1Département Santé et Environnement, Institut de Veille Sanitaire, St Maurice, France. j.donadieu@invs.sante.fr

Pediatrics
|March 3, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Preterm infants in the NICU received a median of 10.6 radiographs, totaling 138 microSv. These cumulative effective doses (cED) appear low, but further research is needed on long-term effects.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Imaging
  • Pediatric Radiology
  • Neonatal Intensive Care

Background:

  • Preterm infants (PIs) often require frequent radiographic imaging in the NICU.
  • Assessing cumulative effective radiograph doses (cED) is crucial for understanding radiation exposure in this vulnerable population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the number and distribution of radiographs and cED in hospitalized preterm infants.
  • To identify factors influencing cED in preterm infants.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 450 preterm infant (gestational age <34 weeks) files admitted to an NICU over 18 months.
  • Generalized additive models were used to analyze the relationship between cED and patient characteristics.

Main Results:

  • Median radiographs per infant: 10.6 (range: 0-95); median cED: 138 microSv (range: 0-1450 microSv).
  • 7.6% of infants exceeded 500 microSv cumulative dose.
  • Gestational age, birth weight, care procedures, and clinical adverse events influenced cED.

Conclusions:

  • Cumulative radiograph doses in the NICU appear low relative to international recommendations for preterm infants.
  • Further studies are necessary to evaluate the long-term consequences of early-life ionizing radiation exposure.
Abstract

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