Keywords:
Dosimetric comparison, Radiation safety, Dosimetry, PACS, Digital radiography, Conventional radiography, Radioprotection / Radiation dose, Radiographers, Paediatric
Authors:
C. J. O Flynn, G. O Neill, K. Matthews; Dublin/IE
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2019/C-3649
Aims and objectives
Despite the emergence of imaging modalities such as ultrasound,
magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear medicine,
projection radiography remains an essential element of investigation into paediatric pathology [1].
Paediatric patients are smaller,
less compliant and more radiosensitive than adults and so technique must be adapted to reflect these considerations [2].
When considering paediatric projection radiography,
it is of upmost importance to consider optimisation of radiation dose [3].
DRLs are an established method of dose optimisation in paediatric radiography [4].
The purpose of DRLs is to provide a reference against which doses can be compared,
and thus identify unnecessarily high patient doses that could be better optimised [4].
DRLs are particularly important in paediatric radiography where there is higher potential for detrimental effects of radiation [3,2].
Despite this importance of radiation protection in paediatric radiography,
published information on paediatric DRLs is sparse [4].
Paediatric dose surveys are resource demanding and this has contributed to the lack of such dose data [4]. The most recent Irish literature investigating paediatric DRLs for projection radiography reports deficiencies in DRL data due to difficulties in sourcing comprehensive dose data for paediatric examinations [1].
However,
the advent of Ireland’s National Integrated Medical Imaging System (NIMIS) database can potentially supersede these deficits.
NIMIS is a national database which stores image data including patient date of birth and Dose Area Product (DAP) data.
NIMIS is accessed through work stations within clinical sites which are attached to the NIMIS system.
Thus development of national paediatric DRL values in NIMIS have the potential to increase dose awareness and help to optimise radiation dose in paediatric practice.
Aim
To investigate the use of NIMIS to generate age specific national DRLs for paediatric projection radiography.
Objectives
- Collect DAP doses from NIMIS across four paediatric age groups for chest,
abdomen,
pelvis and spine examinations in a sample of 12 hospitals nationwide.
- Calculate the median dose quantity per age group from each hospital for each examination and rank these values across all 12hospitals.
- Identify the 75th centile value from the ranking of median values for chest,
abdomen,
pelvis and spine examinations and for the four age groups.
- Propose these values as national DRLs.