Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 14, 2026

X-ray Dose Reduction through Adaptive Exposure in Fluoroscopic Imaging
08:30

X-ray Dose Reduction through Adaptive Exposure in Fluoroscopic Imaging

Published on: September 11, 2011

14.9K

The effect of increased body mass index on patient dose in paediatric radiography

Arsenoi P Ladia1, Spyros G Skiadopoulos1, Anna Ν Karahaliou1

  • 1Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras 26504, Greece.

European Journal of Radiology
|September 27, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Overweight children aged 5-6.5 years experience higher radiation doses and cancer risks during chest and abdomen X-rays. Increased body mass index (BMI) significantly impacts radiation exposure in paediatric radiography.

Area of Science:

  • Radiology
  • Paediatric Imaging
  • Radiation Dosimetry

Background:

  • Radiation protection is critical in paediatric radiology.
  • Childhood obesity rates are rising, potentially affecting radiation dose.
  • Understanding the impact of increased body mass index (BMI) on radiation exposure is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of increased BMI on radiation dose and associated risks in paediatric patients undergoing radiography.
  • To compare radiation doses and cancer risks between normal weight and overweight children.

Main Methods:

  • Studied 128 paediatric patients (aged 5-6.5 years) undergoing chest or abdomen radiography.
  • Categorized patients into normal and overweight groups based on BMI.
  • Calculated entrance surface dose (ESD), organ dose, effective dose (ED), and risk of exposure-induced cancer death (REID) using Monte Carlo simulation (PCXMC 2.0).

Main Results:

  • Overweight patients showed a statistically significant increase in radiation dose and REID compared to normal weight patients (p<0.001).
  • Percentage increases for overweight vs. normal weight patients included: ESD (13.6% chest, 15.0% abdomen), maximum organ dose (24.4% chest, 24.7% abdomen), ED (18.9% chest, 21.8% abdomen), and REID (20.6% chest, 19.8% abdomen).

Conclusions:

  • Increased BMI in paediatric patients leads to higher radiation doses in chest and abdomen radiography.
  • Overweight children face elevated risks of cancer induction from diagnostic imaging procedures.
  • Paediatric radiation protection strategies should consider patient BMI.

Keywords:
Body mass indexPaediatric radiographyRadiation dose

More Related Videos

A Whole Body Dosimetry Protocol for Peptide-Receptor Radionuclide Therapy PRRT: 2D Planar Image and Hybrid 2D+3D SPECT/CT Image Methods09:49

A Whole Body Dosimetry Protocol for Peptide-Receptor Radionuclide Therapy PRRT: 2D Planar Image and Hybrid 2D+3D SPECT/CT Image Methods

Published on: April 24, 2020

10.5K
Dosimetry for Cell Irradiation using Orthovoltage 40-300 kV X-Ray Facilities06:51

Dosimetry for Cell Irradiation using Orthovoltage 40-300 kV X-Ray Facilities

Published on: February 20, 2021

5.6K

Related Concept Videos

Drug Dosing: Obese Patients01:21

Drug Dosing: Obese Patients

In the United States, obesity is a prominent concern. It is linked to heightened mortality rates due to increased occurrences of conditions such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and diabetes compared to nonobese individuals. A patient is classified as obese if their actual body weight surpasses the ideal or desirable body weight by 20%, based on Metropolitan Life Insurance Company data. Ideal body weights consider average weights and heights for males and females...
325
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
677
Biological Effects of Radiation02:59

Biological Effects of Radiation

All radioactive nuclides emit high-energy particles or electromagnetic waves. When this radiation encounters living cells, it can cause heating, break chemical bonds, or ionize molecules. The most serious biological damage results when these radioactive emissions fragment or ionize molecules. For example, α and β particles emitted from nuclear decay reactions possess much higher energies than ordinary chemical bond energies. When these particles strike and penetrate matter, they...
18.9K
Radiological Investigation I: X-ray and CT01:30

Radiological Investigation I: X-ray and CT

Radiological investigations, including X-rays and computed tomography (CT) scans, are critical for diagnosing and evaluating various medical conditions. These imaging techniques provide valuable insights into the body's internal structures, aiding in the detection of abnormalities, assessment of disease progression, and development of treatment strategies. This article delves into two primary radiological investigations, chest X-rays and CT scans, outlining their purpose, procedures, and...
1.5K
X-ray Imaging01:24

X-ray Imaging

German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (1845–1923) was experimenting with electrical current when he discovered that a mysterious and invisible "ray" would pass through his flesh but leave an outline of his bones on a screen coated with a metal compound. In 1895, Röntgen made the first durable record of the internal parts of a living human: an "X-ray" image (as it came to be called) of his wife’s hand. Scientists worldwide quickly began their own experiments with...
10.9K
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight,...
419