DOSE BENCHMARKS FOR PAEDIATRIC HEAD COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY EXAMINATION IN NIGERIA

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiology
• Radiation Protection

Background:

• Diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) are essential for optimizing radiation doses in medical imaging procedures.
• Paediatric computed tomography (CT) protocols require age-specific dose adjustments to minimize radiation exposure.
• Limited data exists on paediatric head CT radiation doses in Nigeria.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose national DRLs for paediatric head CT in Nigeria.
• To evaluate the adherence of Nigerian healthcare facilities to age-specific paediatric CT protocols.
• To identify potential areas for dose optimization in paediatric radiation practices.

Main Methods:

• Data on CTDIvol and DLP were collected from 11 Nigerian facilities for at least 20 paediatric patients per age group.
• DRLs were proposed based on the 75th percentile of the collected dose data.
• Statistical tests (Kruskal-Wallis, Median) were employed to assess the impact of age on dose variations.

Main Results:

• Proposed 75th percentile CTDIvol/DLP values for paediatric head CT were 27/1040 mGy/mGy.cm (newborn), 37/988 (1-y), 48/1493 (5-y), and 54/1824 (≥10-y).
• Significant variations in CTDIvol and DLP were observed across different age groups.
• Age contributed 18.4% to CTDIvol and 5.3% to DLP variations.

Conclusions:

• Paediatric head CT radiation doses in Nigeria are generally higher than international standards.
• There is a clear need for implementing dose optimization interventions and standardizing protocols in Nigerian healthcare facilities.
• The proposed DRLs can serve as a benchmark for improving radiation safety in paediatric CT examinations.