Keywords:
Radiographers, Paediatric, Radioprotection / Radiation dose, Digital radiography, Experimental investigations, Technology assessment, Physics, Dosimetric comparison
Authors:
K. Matthews, J. Creedon; Dublin/IE
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2019/C-3462
Conclusion
Findings of the current study suggest that the modification of AEC settings could provoke reductions in paediatric patient dose without detriment to diagnostic image quality.
Specific Conclusions
- Radiographers can modify the AEC dose constant through manipulation of the DCC ("density setting") on equipment;
- Two complementary methods of image quality evaluation are critical for optimisation studies of this nature;
- The AEC dose constant within the elected clinical site can be reduced;
- The order of the proposed AEC dose constant reduction is from the prevailing 2.2μGy to approximately 1.61 - 1.7μGy.
Recommendations
This study assists in providing a method by which the feasibility of reduced dose constants may be investigated.
Further development of this study is encouraged to investigate:
- The potential for a reduced AEC dose constant considering use of multiple ionisation chamber combinations;
- The potential for a reduced AEC dose constant considering other common projections;
- Whether AEC dose constants are optimised to suit the specific energy response of the equipment with which they are used.
Further testing is therefore encouraged within other clinical sites.