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Excessive z-axis scan coverage in body CT: frequency and causes.
Ozan Yar1, Mehmet Ruhi Onur2, İlkay Sedakat İdilman3
1Department of Radiology, Artvin Public Hospital, 08000, Artvin, Turkey.
European Radiology
|November 26, 2020
Summary
Excessive z-axis coverage in body CT scans is common, occurring in 66% of examinations. Factors like patient condition, scan type, and technologist experience influence this over-scanning, leading to unnecessary radiation exposure.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
- Radiation Safety
Background:
- Excessive z-axis coverage in computed tomography (CT) examinations leads to increased radiation dose.
- Understanding the frequency and causes of over-scanning is crucial for optimizing CT protocols.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of excessive z-axis coverage in body CT examinations.
- To identify patient demographics, examination types, and operational factors contributing to over-scanning.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 2032 body CT examinations from 1531 patients.
- Calculation of over-scanned length in the z-axis by comparing actual and optimal scan lengths.
- Interrogation of factors including patient age, scan indication, time of day, and technologist experience.
Main Results:
- 66% of body CTs exhibited excessive z-axis coverage.
- Caudal over-scanning (48.5%) was more frequent than cranial (18.4%).
- Higher over-scanning rates were observed in older patients, thorax CTs, patients with altered consciousness, and those with misleading scout images.
Conclusions:
- Over-scanning in the z-axis is a frequent issue in routine body CT practice.
- Specific patient and operational factors significantly increase the likelihood of over-scanning.
- Awareness and mitigation of these factors can reduce patient radiation exposure.
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