A Survey of Routine Abdominal/Pelvic Computed Tomography Protocols and Radiation Doses in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Abeba University ,Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2019-10
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Abeba University
Abstract
Background: The use of CT in medicine is now firmly established and represents one of the most
important radiological procedures performed worldwide. CT is a major source of radiation exposure
and provides a substantial proportion of the collective dose from medical exposure.
Objective: To investigate routine abdominal/pelvic CT radiation doses in Tikur Anbessa Specialized
Hospital (TASH), Ethiopia in 2018.
Method: A hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from February 1, 2019
to April 30, 2019, at TASH. The study was conducted among all abdominopelvic CT scans performed
in TASH in 2018. After counting the total abdominal/pelvic CT scans, a systematic random sampling
method (taking every K
th
) was employed to select study subjects from the image registry (medweband
workstation) which contain all performed CT scans. Data were collected from a total of 348
abdominal/pelvic CT scans using a structured data collection format by the principal investigator.
Finally, data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 24 software for
analyses. Text, tables, and graphs were used to present descriptive data, and analysis was processed.
Result: The mean CTDIvol values of pediatric abdominopelvic CT scans for ages <1yr , 1-5yr, 510yr
and 10-15yr, respectively, were 6mGy (IQR, 3-7mGy), 4.9mGy (IQR, 3.3-6.8mGy), 4.4mGy
(IQR, 4.2-4.6mGy), 4.7mGy (IQR, 3.3-5.1mGy). In adult abdominopelvic CT scans, the mean
CTDIvol value was 11mGy (IQR, 7–14 mGy) while the mean DLP for single phase, multi-phase and
all examinations, respectively, were 593mGy.cm (IQR, 252-1579 mGy.cm), 1759 mGy.cm (IQR, 9782268
mGy.cm),
and
1180
mGy.cm
(IQR,
473-1557
mGy.cm)
and
the
mean
effective
doses
for
singlephase,
multiphase,
and
all
examinations,
respectively,
were
8.9
mSv
(IQR
5.3-10.8),
26.2
mSv
(IQR,
14.3-32.7
mSv),
and
17.6
mSv
(IQR,
7.1-23.2
mSv).
Radiation
doses
of
multiphase
examinations
were
approximately
two
to
three
times
that
of
the
single-phase
examinations.
Pediatric
radiation
doses
were
20-25%
of those of adults. The mean CTDIvol dose values of our hospital procedures are lower or
comparable to those reported internationally except for the two younger age group pediatric patients,
which have higher values than other DRLs. Additionally, the DLP and effective doses are considerably
higher than those reported international DRLs in comparison to the CTDIvol.
Conclusion: Higher doses are primarily due to the consistent problem of poor scan length collimation
all ages and both higher tube voltage and longer scanning length in the two younger age group pediatric
patients. Thus, the scanning length should be reduced to the needed minimum for the examination in
all ages and lower tube voltages shoud be used in the two younger age group pediatricpatients.
Description
Keywords
Abdominal,pelvic ,CT radiation