Estimation of effective doses in pediatric X‑ray computed tomography examination

Obara,Hideki; Takahashi,Midori; Kudou,Kazuya; Mariya,Yasushi; Takai,Yoshihiro; Kashiwakura,Ikuo

doi:10.3892/etm.2017.5102

Estimation of effective doses in pediatric X‑ray computed tomography examination

Authors:
- Hideki Obara
- Midori Takahashi
- Kazuya Kudou
- Yasushi Mariya
- Yoshihiro Takai
- Ikuo Kashiwakura
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Affiliations: Department of Radiological Life Sciences, Division of Medical Life Sciences, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki, Aomori 036‑8564, Japan, Department of Radiology and Radiation Oncology, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori 036‑8562, Japan
Published online on: September 5, 2017 https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2017.5102
Pages: 4515-4520

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Abstract

X‑ray computed tomography (CT) images are used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in various medical disciplines. In Japan, the number of facilities that own diagnostic CT equipment, the number of CT examinations and the number of CT scanners increased by ~1.4‑fold between 2005 and 2011. CT operators (medical radiological technologists, medical physicists and physicians) must understand the effective doses for examinations at their own institutions and carefully approach each examination. In addition, the patients undergoing the examination (as well as his/her family) must understand the effective dose of each examination in the context of the cumulative dose. In the present study, the numbers of pediatric patients (aged 0‑5 years) and total patients who underwent CT at Hirosaki University Hospital (Hirosaki, Japan) between January 2011 and December 2013 were surveyed, and effective doses administered to children aged 0, 1 and 5 years were evaluated. Age‑ and region‑specific conversion factors and dose‑length products obtained from the CT scanner were used to estimate the effective doses. The numbers of CT examinations performed in 2011, 2012 and 2013 were 16,662, 17,491 and 17,649, respectively, of which 613 (1.2%) of the overall total involved children aged 0‑5 years. The estimated effective doses per examination to children aged 0, 1 and 5 years were 6.3±4.8, 4.9±3.8 and 2.7±3.0 mSv, respectively. This large variation was attributed to several factors associated with scan methods and ranges in actual setting. In conclusion, the requirement for individual patient prospective exposure management systems and estimations of low‑dose radiation exposure should be considered in light of the harmful effects of exposure.

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