Document Type : Conference Proceedings
Authors
1
MSc Student of Medical Physics, Students Research Committee, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
2
Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
3
Medical Physics Research Center, Department of Medical Physics, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: Increasing CT scan application increased the cancer risk in pediatrics in recent
decays. Imaging centers approach for diagnosis of disease cause to different radiation dose to patients. Because of rapid pediatrics body growth, the most important challenge to
determining the radiation dose is wide variations of size in different ages. Thus, we used Size- specific dose estimates (SSDE) to achievement more accurate radiation dose assessment. In this study the radiation dose of head examinations of a general hospital (Trauma center of western Iran) is compared to a pediatrics hospital to find which one has a better approach for dose management.
Materials and Methods: We evaluated the total number of 280 CT scans in four age groups (≤1, 2-5, 6-10, 11-15 years. Number of 35 CT scans selected for every age group in both
hospitals, separately. Volume Computed Tomography Dose Index (CTDIV), Dose Length
Product (DLP), default phantom (16 or 32 cm) and age were recorded in prepared sheets
using PACS viewer. Water equivalent diameter (DW) and SSDE calculated using the AAPM
TG-220. Third and first quartile and mean ± SD were acquired using SPSS (SPSS Inc., Chicago,
IL).
Results: Third quartile of SSDE was 19.64, 18.70, 18.49 and 18.13 mGy in general hospital;
13.78, 11.92, 11.94 and 20.77 mGy for pediatrics hospital in age groups of ≤1, 2-5, 6-10, 11-
15 years respectively. Third quartile of DLP was 317.4, 344.7, 344.7 and 344.6 mGy in
general hospital; 128.5, 136.5, 152.5 and 250.8 mGy for pediatrics hospital in age groups of
≤1, 2-5, 6-10, 11-15 years respectively. Third quartile of CTDIV was 18.3 mGy for all age
categories in general hospital; 11.5, 11.5, 11.5, and 21.1mGy for pediatrics hospital in age
groups of ≤1, 2-5, 6-10, 11-15 years respectively.
Conclusion: General hospital gives the higher radiation dose to pediatrics for head scans with
the exception of 11-15 years’ group. Optimizing the protocols according to the patient size is
essential in both hospitals. Finally, pediatric hospital has a better dose management for
pediatrics CT scans.
Keywords
)