AUTOMATIC ACQUISITION OF CT RADIATION DOSE DATA: USING THE DIAGNOSTIC REFERENCE LEVEL FOR RADIATION DOSE...

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiology
• Health Informatics

Background:

• CT examinations generate significant radiation dose data.
• Variability in CT radiation doses across facilities necessitates standardized management.
• Establishing national diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) is crucial for radiation safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct a system for collecting and unifying CT examination dose information from multiple facilities.
• To compare collected dose data with national diagnostic reference levels (DRLs).
• To facilitate dose optimization through feedback and investigation of abnormal values.

Main Methods:

• Collected medical information from 139,144 tests across 33 CT devices in 13 facilities.
• Implemented a system for unified dose data management.
• Analyzed and compared collected CT dose data with established national DRLs.

Main Results:

• The study's DRL was lower than Japan's DRL but higher than some other countries' DRLs.
• Significant dose variation was observed, potentially due to factors beyond intended imaging sites.
• Identified the need for continuous data collection for DRL renewal.

Conclusions:

• A unified system for CT dose data management is feasible and aids in dose optimization.
• Continuous data collection, including patient physique and scan region details, is essential for accurate DRLs.
• Further investigation into dose variation causes is required for effective radiation dose reduction strategies.