Aims and objectives
Background
A large number of computed tomography scans are performed in everyday clinical practice nowadays; hence this technique has become the largest source of medical radiation.
The benefits of a computed tomography scan outweigh the risks provided that the exam is indicated and that it is optimized to get a good image quality with the lowest possible dose of radiation.
Our study
Recently,
our hospital incorporated a new single-source CT equipment with a high sensitivity detector.
The high sensitivity detector consists of the integration of...
Methods and materials
We performed a retrospective analysis of the radiation dose received by patients in two consecutive head CT scans.
We selected those patients who had a head CT scan in the new model and had another one performed in a different CT scanner.
We wrote down the doses (DLP) from each exam registered in our PACS.
There were 30 patients registered (18 males and 12 females between 20 and 94 years old).
The presenting complaints were: cranioencephalic trauma,
syncope,
focal neurologic deficit,
cephalea,
postoperative follow-up,
ictus...
Results
The radiation doses in the single source CT model with a high sensitivity detector varied between 560 and 760 mGy.cm (650.6 ± 61.3).
The doses of the other scanners varied between 735 and 1344 (889.3 ± 137.8) (Figure 1).
The difference between both values was statistically significant (p<0.0001).
The doses of the head CT scan in the new model were lower in all the patients (Figure 2), with a mean of 37% (between 5% and 110%) higher in the other CT scanners.
Figure 3 shows...
Conclusion
The employment of a new single-source CT model with a high sensitivity detector reduced the radiation dose of the head CT scans performed in all the evaluated patients,
preserving the image quality.
References
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Ulzheimer S,
Freund J.
The Stellar Detector.
First fully integrated detector.