Background/Introduction
Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRL) of procedures involving ionizing radiation are important tools to optimizing radiation doses delivered to patients and in identifying cases where the levels of doses are unusually high.
This is particularly important for paediatric patients undergoing computed tomography (CT) examinations as these examinations are associated with relatively high-dose.
In 1996,
the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) introduced Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRL) standardized at the 75th percentile of the imaging examination dose.
In 2001,
it promoted the use of local DRL to...
Description of activity and work performed
Data were prospectively collected on consecutive procedures performed from January 2016 to June 2016 on a Somatom Definition FLASH Siemens.
Of each procedure patients data (name,
weight and birth date),
examination-data (kind of procedure,
clinical question,
date,
CTDIvol16/32 and DLP16/32) were recorded.
CTDIvol is reported as mGy,
DLP as mGy*cm.
CTDIvol/DLP16 from head CT were divided into 5 age-groups (<4weeks,
4weeks - <1y,
1y -<6y,
6y – 10 y,
>10y) and of each one 75th-percentile was calculated.
CTDIvol/DLP32 from thorax (chest,
cardiovascular CT angiography) and...
Conclusion and Recommendations
The update of local-DRL allowed us to identify (and solve) some critical issues such as incorrect technique.
or an increasing trend of DRLs due to changes of technology and practices.
Personal/Organisational information
Dr.
Andrea Magistrelli
Radiologist - Counsilor of Radiation Protection Section of Italian Society of Radiology (SIRM)
Imaging Department - OU Radiology and Bioimaging
Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù IRCCS - Rome (Italy)
[email protected]
References
PiDRL Guidelines - http:// www.eurosafeimaging.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/European-Guidelines-on-DRLs-for-Paediatric-Imaging_FINAL-for-workshop_30-Sept-2015.pdf
Granata C,
Origgi D,
Palorini F,
Matranga D,
Salerno S (2015) Radiation dose from multidetector CT studies in children: results from the first Italian nationwide survey.
Pediatr Radiol 45(5): 695-705
Roch P,
Aubert B (2013) French diagnostic reference levels in diagnostic radiology,
computed tomography and nuclear medicine: 2004-2008 review.
Radiat Prot Dosimetry 154(1): 52-75
Ruiz-Cruces R et al.
(2015) Estimación de las dosis a las poblaciones en España como consecuencia del radiodiagnóstico medico (DOPOES project).
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.3362.0562
