Evaluation and optimization of radiation doses is important in diagnostic radiology, especially in computed tomography (CT), where doses can be high. Establishment of Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) and comparison with local ones constitutes the main tool for optimization, but this is always a difficult task in CT, due to the huge variety of protocols. Traditionally, DRLs for CT were established for study descriptions such as Chest CT or abdominal CT, but there are huge differences between centres and even units within a description. Each facility...

The study is carried out at a university hospital, where two GE Revolution EVO CT devices were recently installed. The protocols in use were initially proposed by GE and adapted by the radiologists to their needs and likes. In order to accomplish some optimizations in CT protocols, a multidisciplinary dose optimization committee has been created, with radiographers, radiologists and medical physicists. EUCLID Project has selected 10 clinical CT indications to establish European DRLs. Protocols corresponding to these indications have been searched for and identified in...

Table 2 shows the number of scans considered for each indication to evaluate median doses and the number of outliers extracted. [Table 2] 4 out of 10 indications presented a median DLP value above the corresponding EUCLID DRLs and have led to a revision of the protocol parameters: chronic sinusitis, coronary angiography, hepatocellular carcinoma staging and oncological staging of lung cancer. Table 3 shows median values compared to DRLs. [Table 3] Doses from chronic sinusitis and oncological staging have been optimised by increasing the noise...

EUCLID DRLs are a useful tool that has contributed to optimize doses in CT for some indications. Further indications have to be identified in order to implement more DRLs and continue the process of optimization. A dose committee is a mandatory tool to achieve this objective, because everyone involved in a diagnostic procedure should work together towards the patient safety. The optimization process is an iterative process in which some parameters have to be optimized and their effect on dose reduction and image quality have...

1.Tsapaki V, Damilakis J, Paulo G, Schegerer AA, Repussard J, Jaschke W, etal. CT diagnostic reference levels based on clinical indications: results of a large-scale European survey. European Radiology. 2021;31(7):4459-69. 2.Paulo G, Damilakis J, Tsapaki V, Schegerer AA, Repussard J, Jaschke W, etal. Diagnostic Reference Levels based on clinical indications in computed tomography: a literature review. Insights into Imaging. 2020;11(1):1-9. 3.Comisión Europea, Dirección General de Energía, Jaschke W, Clark J, Hierath M, Damilakis J, etal. European study on clinical diagnostic reference levels for X-ray medical...

P. Garcia Castañon: Nothing to disclose I. Salmerón Béliz: Nothing to disclose G. Paradela Díaz: Nothing to disclose R. Rosado del Castillo: Nothing to disclose P. Chamorro: Nothing to disclose S. HONORATO HERNANDEZ: Nothing to disclose C. PRIETO MARTIN: Nothing to disclose