PROPOSAL FOR LOCAL DIAGNOSTIC REFERENCE LEVELS IN GENERAL RADIOGRAPHY IN JAPAN

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiological Physics
• Public Health

Background:

• Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) are crucial for optimizing radiation doses in medical imaging.
• Existing national DRLs require regular review and regional adaptation.
• General radiography remains a cornerstone of diagnostic imaging worldwide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose local DRLs for general radiography in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
• To compare proposed local DRLs with the established Japanese DRLs from 2015.
• To assess radiation dose variations across different radiography facilities.

Main Methods:

• Entrance surface doses were calculated for general radiography procedures.
• Measurements of X-ray output (half-value layer and air kerma) were performed at 20 facilities.
• Local DRLs were formulated using the 75th percentile of dose distributions.

Main Results:

• Proposed local DRLs for Aichi Prefecture were found to be lower than the national DRLs 2015 for all examined procedures.
• Significant variations in radiation doses were observed among the surveyed facilities.
• The study successfully established a baseline for local DRLs in the region.

Conclusions:

• The proposed local DRLs suggest a potential for dose optimization in general radiography within Aichi Prefecture.
• This study provides a foundation for updating national DRLs by incorporating regional data.
• Collecting similar data from other prefectures could facilitate the development of more effective national DRLs for Japan.