Patient radiation dose estimation during pelvis, hip joint and lumber spine radiography in Majmaah city, Saudi Arabia hospital

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to estimate entrance surface air kerma (ESAK) for adult patients examined for pelvis, hip joint and lumber spine radiography in the governmental hospital of Majmaah City, Saudi Arabia. The ESAK was estimated for 377 patients (male and female) undertaking AP pelvis, hip joint and lumber spine radiography. The ESAK was calculated based on the measurement of X-ray tube output and the knowledge of exposure factors. The X-ray output was measured using a Rad-Check ionization chamber for each X-ray tube. In total, seven X-ray tubes were enrolled to assess the patients’ ESAK. The exposure factors included the tube potential (kVp), tube loading (mAs) and X-ray source to image detector distance-SID (cm). The factors were recorded for each patient, together with demographic data (age and gender). The mean ESAKs in this study were 3.19 ± 0.78 for lumbar spine (AP), 4.02 ± 0.78 for lumbar (LAT), 1.84 ± 1.17 for hip joint and 2.93 ± 0.99 for pelvis. The corresponding average values of the kVp used for this examination ranged from 72.9 to 113.75 kVp; the mAs ranged from 11.7 to 42.1 mAs, and the SID range was between 100 and 115 cm. The calculated ESAK values of all examinations in both projections, PA and LAT, were less than the values recommended by national and international associations, IAEA and EU RP108. The role of optimizing radiography parameters for reducing the patient dose is a significant issue. Periodic checks and quality control testing are highly recommended to reduce patient doses.