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Dosimetry for Cell Irradiation using Orthovoltage (40-300 kV) X-Ray Facilities
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Radiation dose to neonates undergoing X-ray imaging in special care baby units in Iran

Reza Faghihi1, Simin Mehdizadeh, Sedigheh Sina

  • 1Radiation Research Center, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shiraz University, Mollasadra Street, Shiraz, Iran. faghihir@shirazu.ac.ir

Radiation Protection Dosimetry
|December 1, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Neonatal radiographic imaging dose estimation is crucial due to infant radiosensitivity. This study compared direct, indirect, and Monte Carlo methods for entrance skin dose (ESD) and childhood cancer risk, finding comparable results across methods.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Physics
  • Pediatric Radiology
  • Radiation Dosimetry

Background:

  • Radiographic imaging is vital for diagnosing neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) diseases.
  • Accurate dose estimation is critical for neonates due to their increased radiosensitivity and longer life expectancy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate radiation dose metrics including entrance skin dose (ESD), dose area product (DAP), and effective dose in neonates undergoing radiography.
  • To assess the risk of childhood cancer associated with these radiographic procedures.
  • To compare the accuracy of direct (TLD), indirect (tube output), and Monte Carlo (MC) methods for dose estimation.

Main Methods:

  • Direct measurement of ESD using thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD-100) chips in 50 neonates (primarily premature).
  • Indirect estimation of ESD based on tube output measurements for various imaging techniques.
  • Simulation of imaging environments and patient components using MCNP4C code for MC-based ESD estimation.
  • Calculation of DAP, energy imparted (EI), whole-body dose, effective dose, and childhood cancer risk using assessed ESD values.

Main Results:

  • Mean ESD per radiograph: 56.6±4.1 μGy (direct), 50.1±3.1 μGy (indirect), and 54.5±3.3 μGy (MC).
  • The estimated mean risk of childhood cancer ranged from 4.21×10⁻⁷ to 2.72×10⁻⁶.

Conclusions:

  • All three methods (direct, indirect, MC) provide comparable estimations for neonatal radiographic doses.
  • The findings underscore the importance of meticulous dose assessment in pediatric radiography to minimize long-term risks like childhood cancer.

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