Factors associated with radiation exposure in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients undergo multiple radiological evaluations.

To estimate total and abdominal radiation exposure from diagnostic X-ray investigations in IBD patients and the associated risk factors.

Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) treated in the IBD clinic were recruited. Clinical data were extracted from patient files and radiological data were obtained from the central HMO computer data base.

A total of 199 CD and 125 UC patients were included. The mean cumulative estimated doses (CED) for CD and UC were 21.1 19.5 and 15.1 20.4 millisieverts (mSv) respectively (P < 0.001). Twenty-three patients (7.1%) had an estimated CED of > or =50 mSv. In multivariate analyses, predictors of increased CED were: surgery (OR 5.68, 95% CI: 2.73-11.8, P < 0.001), CD (OR 2.56, 95% CI: 1.29-5.07, P = 0.007), prednisone use (OR 2.0, 95% CI: 1.11-3.67, P = 0.02), first year of disease (OR 6.4, 95% CI: 1.3-32, P = 0.02) and age in the upper quartile(OR 3.26, 95% CI: 1.68-6.3, P = 0.001).

Diagnosis of CD, IBD-related surgery, prednisone use, first year of diagnosis and age on the upper quartile are independent predictors of increased exposure in IBD patients. Alternative investigations which do not require radiation exposure should be considered for patients at risk for increased radiation exposure.