Congress:
EuroSafe Imaging 2019
Keywords:
Action 7 - Radiation protection of children, Action 2 - Clinical diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), Action 4 - Dose management systems, Paediatric, Radioprotection / Radiation dose, CT, Fluoroscopy, RIS, Radiation safety, Dosimetric comparison
Authors:
M. A. Ciccone, C. Granata, F. Levrero, G. M. Magnano
DOI:
10.26044/esi2019/ESI-0074
Background/introduction
Today a large number of patient dose management software (PDMS) tools are widely commercially available.
The goal of these dose tracking software tools is to collect,
record,
display and analyze exposure data on the radiation administered to patients during the radiologic examinations.
The adoption of a PDMS results in significant workflow and quality benefits for radiology departments due to the ability to monitor the exposure data administered during similar radiologic procedures and to reveal the outlier dose metrics for common examination types [4].
The report of the European Commission 185/2018 “European Guidelines on Diagnostic Reference Levels for Paediatric Imaging” [1] represents an up-to-date document.
In a Radiology Department of a pediatric hospital the report 185/2018 [1] is a precious auditing tool for review of protocols and equipment for the optimization of radiation doses administered during the procedures on children.
In the Radiologic Department of the “Giannina Gaslini” Institute (one of the greatest Italian specialistic pediatric hospital) we currently use a dose tracking software (GrayDetector,
ELCO,
Cairo Montenotte SV,
Italy) in which the pediatric diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) values for CT and MCU (Micturating Cisto- Uretrography) are integrated in the displayed graphics.
(Fig.
1)
The software collects dose data (header DICOM) recorded in the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) from a 64-slice CT scanner (Somatom Sensation 64 Siemens Healthineers,
Erlangen,
D) and a digital system for fluoroscopy and radiography (Luminos dRF Siemens Healthineers,
Erlangen,
D).
The European pediatric DRLs [1] are based on patient weight for all CT body examinations and patient age for CT head examinations.
Therefore,
we have implemented semi-automated queries in the dose tracking software,
which comply with the above criteria.
(Fig.
2)
The GrayDetector software is linked to the Radiology Information System (RIS) hence the parameters weight and height of the patient are registered by the radiographers and stored on the RIS when the examination is completed.