Diagnostic reference levels (DRL) in Computed Tomography during the period 2018-2022 in a private hospital in Chile

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare and optimize the diagnostic reference levels (DRL) of our institution obtained over 5 years, in order to find the appropriate balance between the patient dose and the quality of the clinical image for the most frequently used CT examinations.The typical values of 6 CT scanners of an institution were evaluated, taking as a reference the DRLs established in 2018. An optimization process was initiated in order to find the best balance between dose- diagnostic quality, finding that the DRLs obtained during that year were well below those published by the ACR, so we proceeded to prioritize the quality of the image by reasonably increasing the doses to the patient. In 2022, we purchased other patient dose monitoring software and got new optimized DRLs.The results obtained from the typical values of 2018 versus 2022 had a difference of 25% to 30%, with the DRLs of 2022 being higher as we were looking for, finding a significant improvement in the quality of the diagnostic images. The medians obtained are within what is published internationally, which is an indicator that our DRLs are within international standards.This research helped our CT Service considerably to obtain typical values with excellent quality of diagnostic images, and to standardize the protocols for all our CT scanners despite being of different brands and technology.