TY - JOUR
T1 - Results of a European survey on patient doses in paediatric radiology
AU - Smans, Kristien
AU - Vaño, E.
AU - Sanchez, R.
AU - Schultz, F.W.
AU - Zoetelief, J.
AU - Kiljunen, T.
AU - Maccia, C.
AU - Järvinen, H.
AU - Bly, R.
AU - Kosunen, A.
AU - Faulkner, K.
AU - Bosmans, Hilde
A2 - Vanhavere, Filip
PY - 2008/2/29
Y1 - 2008/2/29
N2 - Paediatric patients represent a very specific group within the radiology department. Compared to adult patients, they are more sensitive to radiation. As they are sometimes submitted to several radiology procedures, dose and image quality should be well balanced. Nowadays, only a few centres specialize in paediatric imaging, and knowledge of paediatric patient doses is, therefore, very scattered. The effect of the introduction of digital technology on paediatric patient doses remains largely undocumented. Data collected in the present survey illustrate that there is a clear need for standardisation in this domain. The proposal of a European diagnostic reference level (DRL) is quite difficult. Preliminary DRLs, based on typically 5–7 radiology centres per examination are proposed. The ‘effective dose’ may or may not be a very rigorous parameter, but it still
remains useful nowadays to calculate a parameter that summarises the possible radiation-induced detriment to these young patients. However, conversion factors for calculation of the effective dose should be harmonised. Future studies should include an image quality evaluation study, using criteria that account for digital equipment.
AB - Paediatric patients represent a very specific group within the radiology department. Compared to adult patients, they are more sensitive to radiation. As they are sometimes submitted to several radiology procedures, dose and image quality should be well balanced. Nowadays, only a few centres specialize in paediatric imaging, and knowledge of paediatric patient doses is, therefore, very scattered. The effect of the introduction of digital technology on paediatric patient doses remains largely undocumented. Data collected in the present survey illustrate that there is a clear need for standardisation in this domain. The proposal of a European diagnostic reference level (DRL) is quite difficult. Preliminary DRLs, based on typically 5–7 radiology centres per examination are proposed. The ‘effective dose’ may or may not be a very rigorous parameter, but it still
remains useful nowadays to calculate a parameter that summarises the possible radiation-induced detriment to these young patients. However, conversion factors for calculation of the effective dose should be harmonised. Future studies should include an image quality evaluation study, using criteria that account for digital equipment.
KW - doses
KW - paediatric radiology
UR - http://ecm.sckcen.be/OTCS/llisapi.dll/open/ezp_86779
UR - http://knowledgecentre.sckcen.be/so2/bibref/4841
U2 - 10.1093/rpd/ncn031
DO - 10.1093/rpd/ncn031
M3 - Article
SN - 0144-8420
SP - 1
EP - 7
JO - Radiation protection dosimetry
JF - Radiation protection dosimetry
T2 - SENTINEL Workshop Delft
Y2 - 18 April 2007 through 20 April 2007
ER -