Measurements of pediatric radiation exposure during barium imaging procedures

Abstract

Radiological imaging has been considered a vital tool in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) disorders. Gastrointestinal radiography (GIR) has been a major and first-choice method for diagnosing GIT diseases with barium as contrast media since its emergence in 1910. Radiographic examination of children, especially neonates, attracts particular interest because of the increased opportunity for expression of delayed radiogenic cancers as a consequence of relative longer life expectancy. Barium studies are of particular interest because it constitutes 5% of the total number of radiological examinations and 17% of the collective doses. Although, the task is important, there are few data on radiation doses to infants and children undergoing barium procedures. The current study intends to evaluate the radiation dose to pediatric patients during barium studies and to estimate the effective doses and radiation risk of the aforementioned procedures. A total of 43 pediatric barium procedures were performed in this study. 21.7% of the sample was barium meal, 8.6% were undergone barium swallow while 69.5% of the sample were barium enemas. Entrance surface air kerma (ESAKs) were calculated from patient exposure parameters using DosCal software. Effective doses (E) were calculated using published conversion factors and methods recommended by the national Radiological Protection Board (NRPB). The mean film numbers was 12.4, 8.9 and 8 for barium meal, barium enema and barium swallow, respectively. The maximum number of X rays was obtained in barium meal (21 film per a single procedure). The mean patient doses per procedure were 2.1 ± 0.8 mGy, 3.0 ± 23 mGy and 1.2 ± 0.2 mGy for barium meal, swallow and enema, respectively. The mean effective doses were 0.3 mSv, 1.0 mSv and 0.2 mSv at the same order. The dose values in this study were higher than previous studies. The unnecessary radiation exposure can be reduced significantly by reducing the number of films and screening time. Diagnostic reference level is recommended to improve the practice. Disclosure Authors have nothing to disclose.