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Published on: December 16, 2022
Low dose computed tomography pulmonary angiography protocol for imaging pregnant patients: Can dose reduction be
Darragh Halpenny1, Brian Park2, Jeffrey Alpert1
1Department of Thoracic Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, 660 1st Ave, NY 10016, USA.
Objective:
To assess the effect of low dose computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) on radiation dose in pregnant patients.
Materials And Methods:
An old CTPA protocol for pregnant patients was compared to a new protocol. Protocol changes included: decreased kVp; increased contrast injection rate; imaging after shallow inspiration. Patients undergoing CTPA before (phase 1 group) or after (phase 2 group) the protocol change, were assessed.
Results:
Effective dose was lower in the phase 2 group (0.95 v 1.66 mSv; p<0.001). Quantitative noise was lower in the phase 1 group (p<0.001).
Conclusion:
Low dose CTPA tailored for pregnancy reduces dose in pregnant patients.
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