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X-ray Dose Reduction through Adaptive Exposure in Fluoroscopic Imaging
Published on: September 11, 2011
ESTIMATION OF FETAL AND PEDIATRIC DOSES FROM CHEST CT EXAMINATIONS USING VIRTUALDOSE SOFTWARE
Zirui Ye1,2, Miao Qi1,2, Yingming Zhao3
1School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
Insights
Radiation doses for pregnant women and children undergoing chest CT scans during the COVID-19 pandemic were estimated. Fetal and pediatric effective doses were calculated, providing crucial data for informed medical decisions and radiation safety.
Area of Science:
- Medical Physics
- Radiological Dosimetry
- Public Health
Background:
- Chest computed tomography (CT) scans were sometimes necessary for pregnant women and children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Accurate estimation of radiation doses is crucial for risk assessment in vulnerable populations.
- Limited data exists on fetal and pediatric radiation doses from COVID-19-related chest CT examinations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate fetal and pediatric organ and effective doses from chest CT scans performed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To provide data that can inform radiologists and patients about radiation exposure levels.
- To evaluate the impact of extended scan ranges on radiation doses.
Main Methods:
- Utilized VirtualDose-CT software for organ dose and effective dose calculations.
- Employed computational human phantoms representing pregnant females and pediatric patients.
- Normalized doses to volumetric CT Dose Index (CTDIvol) for universal applicability.
Main Results:
- Fetal absorbed doses ranged from 0.04-0.36 mGy (3 months) to 0.07-0.61 mGy (9 months) for chest CT, increasing fourfold with abdominal extension.
- Pediatric effective doses for chest CT varied from 1.29-10.98 mSv (10-year-olds) to 1.62-13.77 mSv (newborns).
- Dose variations were observed based on age and scan range, highlighting the need for tailored assessments.
Conclusions:
- Chest CT scans result in relatively small radiation doses for fetuses and children.
- The calculated dose data enables informed decision-making regarding radiation exposure in pediatric and pregnant populations.
- Understanding dose levels aids in minimizing unnecessary radiation exposure during medical imaging.
Abstract:
Pregnant women and children sometimes had to undergo chest computed tomography (CT) scans during the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study estimated the fetal and pediatric doses from chest CT scans. Organ doses and effective doses were calculated using the VirtualDose-CT software. Two groups of computational human phantoms, pregnant females and pediatric patients were used in this study. The results of doses normalized to volumetric CT Dose Index (CTDIvol) can be used universally for other dosimetry studies. Based on our calculations and international survey data of CTDIvol, fetal absorbed doses from COVID-19-related chest CT were found to be 0.04-0.36, 0.05-0.44 and 0.07-0.61 mGy for 3, 6 and 9 months of pregnancy, respectively. When the scan range is extended to the abdominal region, fetal doses increase by almost 4-fold. Effective doses for COVID-19-related chest CT were 1.62-13.77, 1.58-13.46, 1.57-13.33 and 1.29-10.98 mSv for the newborn, 1-, 5- and 10-y-old children, respectively. In addition, the effects of specific axial scan ranges exceeding the thorax region were evaluated. Although doses from chest CT scans are small, such data allow radiologists and patients to be informed of the dose levels and ways to avoid unnecessary radiation.
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