Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2025
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Irradiator Commissioning and Dosimetry for Assessment of LQ α and β Parameters, Radiation Dosing Schema, and in vivo Dose Deposition
Published on: March 11, 2021
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Trends in Radiation at a Level I Trauma Center
Krisha G Hidalgo1,2, Austin Henken-Siefken2, Andrew McCague3
1College of Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, USA.
Cureus
|September 9, 2024
Summary
Trauma imaging using computed tomography (CT) and radiographs shows declining radiation exposure over time. However, adult trauma patients still receive significantly higher radiation doses than pediatric and geriatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Trauma Care
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Traumatic injuries necessitate imaging, often involving significant radiation exposure.
- Plain radiographs and computed tomography (CT) are standard trauma imaging modalities.
- Concerns exist regarding radiation's adverse effects, particularly in vulnerable populations like children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess trends in radiation exposure during trauma assessment.
- To analyze imaging radiation doses at a Level I trauma center.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of a de-identified trauma registry dataset.
- Calculation of total radiation amounts based on diagnostic modality (radiographs, CT scans).
- Assignment of effective radiation dose using American College of Radiology values.
Main Results:
- A positive correlation exists between injury severity score and effective radiation dose.
- Radiation exposure decreased significantly from 2016 to 2021.
- Adult trauma patients (16.32 mSv) received higher doses than pediatric (6.32 mSv) and geriatric (12.67 mSv) patients.
Conclusions:
- The Level I trauma center has successfully reduced radiation exposure through current protocols.
- Adults incur the highest radiation doses compared to pediatric and geriatric trauma patients.
- CT and radiography are vital but require judicious use in trauma imaging.
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