Normalized dose data for upper gastrointestinal tract contrast studies performed to infants

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Pediatric Radiology
• Radiation Dosimetry

Background:

• Upper gastrointestinal tract contrast (UGIC) studies are common in infants.
• Accurate radiation dose estimation is crucial for pediatric procedures.
• Limited data exists on radiation doses for UGIC studies in infants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide normalized radiation dose data for infant UGIC studies.
• To estimate average patient dose and associated cancer risks.
• To establish data for minimizing radiation exposure in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Monte Carlo N-particle (MCNP) transport code with infant phantoms.
• Validated MCNP results with physical anthropomorphic phantoms and TLD measurements.
• Collected clinical data from 25 UGIC examinations in infants (two age groups).

Main Results:

• Estimated organ and effective doses normalized to entrance skin dose (ESD) and dose area product (DAP).
• Average effective doses were 1.6 mSv (0.5-5.9 months) and 1.9 mSv (6-15 months).
• Cancer risk estimated up to 3 per 10,000 infants; comforter dose averaged 47 microGy.

Conclusions:

• Normalized dose data enables accurate estimation of radiation doses from infant UGIC studies.
• Radiation doses from UGIC examinations in infants are significant and require minimization.
• The study provides essential data for optimizing radiation safety in pediatric fluoroscopy.