Review on Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) for Adult Patients Undergoing Chest and Abdomen Computed Tomography Scan in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

Computed tomography (CT) scan procedure has become a higher radiation dose that contributes to all medical x-ray procedures in the radiological department. Many researches in the world suggested that computed tomography presents a small fraction (5%) of the total procedures performed but contributes 34% of annual radiation doses in all medical x-ray procedures. Likewise, other investigations reported that computed tomography presents 17% of the total number of procedures performed worldwide but contributes 49% of the annual collective doses in all medical x-ray procedures. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide a diagnostic reference level for adults that undergo chest and abdomen CT scan examinations in northern Nigeria, using the research for this region and comparing with international values to see if better optimization protocol is being practiced, since diagnostic reference levels are part of the ways of optimizing a dose in CT procedure. Based on this review, the results obtained for DRLs for the chest are 17.25mGy for CTDIvol and 735mGy.cm for DLP, while the results for the abdomen are 19.25mGy and 1670.75mGy.cm for CTDIvol and DLP respectively. Therefore, all the DRLs’ values reviewed are higher than the international values compared except CTDIvol of ICRP 2007 publications. There is an urgent need for an upgrade in CT technology. Optimization of protocols, including exposure and technical parameter selection, should help reduce dose variations in the northern part of Nigeria.