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Paediatric effective radiation doses during brain computed tomography angiography procedure
H Salah1, Mohammad Rabbaa2, Mohammad Abuljoud2
1INAYA Medical Collage, Nuclear Medicine Department, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; College of Medical Radiologic Science, Sudan University of Science and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan.
Insights
Pediatric patients are more sensitive to radiation. This study assessed radiation doses from CT brain scans in children, finding doses comparable to international standards but recommending optimization due to high sensitivity.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Radiology
- Pediatric Health
Background:
- Children exhibit heightened sensitivity to ionizing radiation compared to adults.
- Computed tomography (CT) is a primary source of medical radiation exposure, constituting over 70% of public doses.
- Pediatric CT brain scans are frequently performed, necessitating accurate radiation risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the radiation risk associated with CT brain diagnostic procedures in pediatric patients.
- To determine and analyze radiation doses received by children undergoing CT brain scans.
Main Methods:
- Radiation doses were assessed for 353 pediatric patients over one year.
- Data on radiation dose parameters, including CTDIvol and DLP, were collected from CT system protocols.
- Doses were analyzed for brain scans performed with and without contrast agents.
Main Results:
- Mean doses for CT brain with contrast were 40.6 ± 8.8 mGy (CTDIvol) and 850 ± 230 mGy.cm (DLP).
- Mean doses for CT brain without contrast were 40.9 ± 9.4 mGy (CTDIvol) and 866.1 ± 289.3 mGy.cm (DLP).
- The measured radiation doses were found to be comparable to previously published studies and international diagnostic reference levels (DRLs).
Conclusions:
- Radiation doses from pediatric CT brain scans are within established international benchmarks.
- Optimization of CT acquisition parameters is crucial to minimize radiogenic risks in sensitive pediatric populations.
- Continued attention to radiation dose optimization is recommended for pediatric patients undergoing CT examinations.
Abstract:
In comparison to adults and paediatric are more sensitive to ionizing radiation exposure. Computed tomography (CT) is now the dominant source of medical radiologic tests for patients, accounting for more than 70% of total doses to the general public. Paediatric CT brain scans (with and without contrast) are routinely performed for a variety of clinical reasons. As a result, this parameter must be calculated in order to determine relative radiation risk. The goal of this study is to assess the radiation risk to children during CT brain diagnostic procedures. Three hundred fifty three child patients' radiation risk doses were assessed over the course of a year. The mean and ranged of the children's radiation doses were 40.6 ± 8.8 (27.8-45.8) CTDIvol (mGy) and 850 ± 230 (568.1-1126.4) DLP (mGy.cm) for the brain with contrast medium. For CT brain without contrast, the patients' doses were 40.9 ± 9.4 (14.27-64.07) CTDIvol (mGy), and 866.1 ± 289.3 (203.6-2484.9) DLP (mGy.cm). The characteristics related to the radiation dose were retrieved from the scan protocol generated by the CT system by the participating physicians after each procedure. Furthermore, optimizing the CT acquisition parameter is critical for increasing the benefit while lowering the procedure's radiogenic risk. The patients' radiation dose is comparable with the most previously published studies and international diagnostic reference levels (DRLs). Radiation dose optimization is recommended due to high sensitivity of the paediatric patients to ionizing radiation.
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