Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 12, 2026
Making MR Imaging Child's Play - Pediatric Neuroimaging Protocol, Guidelines and Procedure
Published on: July 30, 2009
Setting the benchmark : morocco's first local diagnostic reference levels by clinical indication for pediatric
H Sekkat1,2, A Khallouqi3,4, A Halimi3
1Sciences and Engineering of Biomedicals, Biophysics and Health Laboratory, Higher Institute of Health Sciences, Hassan First University, Settat, 26000, Morocco. sekkat.isss@uhp.ac.ma.
Purpose:
Optimizing radiation protection in pediatric computed tomography (CT) requires diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) adapted to local practice and clinical indication. This study establishes the first Moroccan pediatric CT DRLs stratified by anatomical protocol and diagnostic purpose.
Methods:
A descriptive-analytical study was conducted at a single center including 224 children (≤ 15 years) who underwent CT examinations across four main protocols: head, thorax, abdomino-pelvic and thoraco-abdomino-pelvic (TAP). Dosimetric indices (CTDIvol, DLP) and effective doses (E) were analyzed per ICRP recommendations, and DRLs were derived from the 75th percentile of patient-level dose data by clinical indication.
Results:
Head CT was the most frequent (54%), dominated by trauma (63.6%) with optimized exposure (median CTDIvol 21.5 mGy; E 3.1 mSv). Structural pathologies showed lower doses (E 2.2 mSv), while infectious cases reached the highest (E 7.2 mSv) due to extended protocols. Thoracic CT exhibited variability, with cardiovascular/malformative cases showing the highest exposures (E 5.8 mSv) and functional respiratory cases the lowest (E 4.0 mSv). Abdomino-pelvic CT delivered the highest doses in tumoral imaging (E 23.6 mSv) and TAP protocols showed comparable DRLs for tumoral and traumatic cases (~ 15-16 mSv).
Conclusion:
Clinical indication significantly influences pediatric CT dose, with up to five-fold variation across subgroups. The DRLs established here provide the first national benchmarks for Morocco, supporting protocol optimization, radioprotection policy development and ALARA-compliant pediatric imaging practice.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:10Computed Tomography
The technique was invented in the 1970s and is based on the principle that as X-rays pass through the body, they are absorbed or reflected at different levels. In the technique, a patient lies on a motorized platform while a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner rotates...
01:27Imaging Studies III: Computed Tomography
01:30Radiological Investigation I: X-ray and CT
01:30Radiological Investigation II: MRI and Ventilation Perfusion Scan
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Ventilation Perfusion Scans are two radiological investigations that offer detailed diagnostic images of the body, particularly lung structures.
MRI
MRI uses magnetic fields and radiofrequency signals to distinguish between normal and abnormal tissues. This technology provides a more detailed diagnostic image than CT scans, enabling it to characterize pulmonary nodules, stage bronchogenic carcinoma, and evaluate inflammatory activity in...
01:13Radiological Investigation III: Pulmonary Angiogram and PET Scan
Pulmonary Angiogram
A Pulmonary Angiogram is an invasive procedure involving injecting a contrast medium through a catheter threaded into the pulmonary artery or the right side of the heart to visualize the pulmonary vasculature. Computed Tomography (CT) scans have mainly replaced this...