Computed Tomography Diagnostic Reference Levels for Brain, Chest, and Abdominal/Pelvis Examinations

Abstract

Radiation dosage variance is one of the topics that arise when dealing with computed tomography (CT) devices within medical imaging centers. In this article, a review was done to enlighten the causes of such dosage variance and the degree of variation for pediatric patients. The article focuses on the diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for the brain, chest, and abdomen CT images. The reviewed studies were categorized depending on the type of the cases of pediatric patients, which include head, chest, and abdominal examinations. There were 9 studies using human data, 1 with phantom data, and 2 with combined human and phantom data. The dosage indices used in the studies were the DRLs, which were used as a key comparison between studies. The classification was likewise done at the expense of the radiation dose, with a secondary classification based on the patients' age, weight, and size. The type of scanner, differences in protocols, variations in patients, and variations in research design are all considered sources of variation. The following dosage indices were found in different combinations: volume CT dose index (CTDIvol), dose length product (DLP), and size-specific dose estimate (SSDE). The use of different dose indices limited the dose comparison between 11 studies.