Nonselective Filters Offer Important Dose-Reducing Potential in Radiological Examination of the Paediatric Pelvis

Children are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of radiation than adults; therefore, every effort should be made to keep radiation doses as low as reasonably achievable. One effective dose-reducing tool for pediatrics is additional filtration. This anthropomorphic phantom-based study explores use of additional filters for the radiographic anteroposterior pelvis examination.

Image quality, entrance surface, and effective doses were monitored with the existing inherent level of filtration for 0-, 5-, and 15-year-old pediatric phantoms. A range of filter types and thicknesses were added, including aluminium, copper, and compound (aluminium and copper), and changes were noted.

Compared with the current level of filtration, results showed a decrease in entrance surface dose by up to 62.9%, 56.4%, and 55.0%, and effective dose by up to 46.4%, 36.1%, and 28.7% for the 0-, 5-, and 15-year-olds, respectively. No significant degradation in image quality was noted.

Despite compound filters offering marginal benefits over copper, 0.3 mm copper filtration is recommended for clinical trials because of reduced physical thickness. Results demonstrated that additional filtration in excess of current recommendations may offer important benefits for children undergoing this radiographic examination.