Congress:
EuroSafe Imaging 2016
Keywords:
Action 6 - Education and training in medical radiation protection, Action 3 - Optimisation, diagnostic reference levels, image quality, Action 2 - Clinical diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), Action 8 - Radiation protection training and learning material
Authors:
P. Vock, G. Frija
DOI:
10.1594/esi2016/ESI-0034
Conclusion and Recommendations
Not only have the setting,
use and regular update of DRLs been supported by international organisations (ICRP,
WHO,
IAEA,
EU) but there is also a growing consensus that DRLs have to be defined for specific clinical questions and to be related to the image quality needed for that purpose.
Despite the consensus,
only very few such specific DRLs have been reported.
This poster summarises the concept of DRLs,
the methodology for their establishment and new approaches to overcome limitations.
The EuroSafe Imaging campaign,
following the ESR Call for Action, has started surveys with the aim to collect European DRLs based on clinical indications.
Ten important CT examinations of the body trunk were chosen at this early phase,
and preliminary results are reported.
A wide variation of exposure has been observed,
and differentiating the different sources of variation is demanding.
A new initiative of the campaign,
the EuroSafe Imaging Stars representing institutions with quality standards,
will help overcome the current limitations.
Coupled with IT-based automatic dose collection,
the future of indication-based DRLs for the image quality needed and their regular update seems to be bright.