INVESTIGATION OF RADIATION RISKS BASED ON THE CLINICAL FINDINGS FROM HEAD CT SCANS IN TRAUMA

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Physics
• Oncology

Background:

• Computed tomography (CT) is crucial for diagnosing traumatic injuries.
• Assessing radiation risks, including effective dose and cancer probability, is essential for patient safety.
• Understanding the prevalence of traumatic abnormalities guides diagnostic protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate radiation exposure and associated cancer risk from head CT in trauma patients.
• To determine the frequency of traumatic abnormalities detected via head CT.
• To compare radiation risks with the clinical benefits of head CT in trauma cases.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective data collection from 138 trauma patients.
• Analysis of exposure parameters (dose length product, CT dose index volume, effective dose).
• Review of clinical findings to identify traumatic abnormalities.

Main Results:

• Mean effective dose was 1.47 ± 0.12 mSv.
• Positive findings (traumatic abnormalities) were present in 57.2% of head CT scans.
• Cancer risk probability was 6.04 × 10-5 per procedure, with no significant difference between positive and negative findings.

Conclusions:

• The diagnostic benefits of head CT for trauma patients, aiding immediate medical decisions, justify the procedure.
• The calculated radiation risks are considered acceptable when weighed against the clinical utility and potential for missed diagnoses.
• Head CT remains a vital tool in trauma management, balancing immediate diagnostic needs with long-term radiation safety considerations.