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Radiation dose to newborns in neonatal intensive care units

Mohammad Taghi Bahreyni Toossi1, Malakeh Malekzadeh

  • 1Medical Physics Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

Iranian Journal of Radiology : a Quarterly Journal Published by the Iranian Radiological Society
|January 19, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for neonates in Iran were slightly higher than international standards, necessitating optimization of radiation doses. This study measured entrance surface doses to guide radiation protection in neonatal intensive care units.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Physics
  • Radiology
  • Pediatric Imaging

Background:

  • Increasing use of X-ray diagnostics necessitates monitoring patient radiation doses.
  • Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) are crucial for optimizing patient protection in radiology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess radiation doses in neonates undergoing diagnostic radiography (chest and abdomen).
  • To establish DRLs for neonates in a specific Iranian province's neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

Main Methods:

  • Entrance Surface Dose (ESD) measured using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs).
  • Study included 195 neonates across eight NICUs of varying hospital types.

Main Results:

  • Mean ESD: 76.3 µGy (chest), 61.5 µGy (abdomen).
  • Established DRLs: 88 µGy (chest), 98 µGy (abdomen), slightly exceeding other studies.
  • Calculated risks of radiation-induced cancer incidence.

Conclusions:

  • Neonatal DRLs in the province are slightly higher than reported international values.
  • Higher doses attributed to high mAs, low kVp, short focus-film distance, and potential lack of collimation.
  • Recommendations for optimizing radiation protection in neonatal radiography are implied.
Abstract

Keywords:
Intensive Care UnitsNeonatalRadiation Dosimetry

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