SURVEY OF IMAGE QUALITY AND RADIOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUE OF PEDIATRIC CHEST EXAMINATIONS PERFORMED IN BRAZIL

摘要

This work presents the results of a survey of Entrance Surface Air Kerma (Ke) values, image quality and radiographic exposure parameters used in pediatric chest examinations performed in Brazil. The study is part of the activities of the IAEA Regional Project RLA/9/057 whose objective is to optimize the radiological protection of patients in diagnostic and interventional radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy. The survey was performed in four hospitals in Brazil. The study group consisted of 420 pediatric patients from two age groups (Group 1- from two days to one year, Group II- from four to six years of age) undergoing chest PA/AP examinations. At the time of the examination the exposure parameters (kVp, mAs, focal-spot-to-film distance, etc.) and patient information (gender, height, weight and age) were recorded. The radiographic image quality was evaluated by the local radiologist based on the European Guidelines on Quality Criteria for Diagnostic Radiographic Images in Pediatrics. The results showed that the exposure parameters used on newborn patients were in the majority outside the 60-65kV range recommended by the European Guidelines for a good radiographic practice. In the case of examinations of patients with age between 4 and 6 years, 80% were performed with a peak tube voltage within the 60-80 kV range, as recommended by the European Guidelines. The K< values, for both patient groups showed a wide dispersion, ranging from 30.7 uGy to 163.8 uGy for the newborn patients and from 34.5 uGy to 236.6 uGy for infant patients. It is possible to conclude that, in the Brazilian hospitals participating in this project, the radiographic techniques of pediatric chest images and the radiation protection need to be optimized.