Image gently: reducing radiation dose in pediatric computed tomography through collaboration.

摘要

Over 7 million computed tomography (CT) scans are performed on children annually in the United States. The vast majority of these scans occur in adult-oriented hospitals. When a child receives a CT scan using adult protocols, the radiation dose may exceed that received by an adult by as much as threefold. As the elevated pediatric dose improves the image quality, there is nothing to alert the radiologic technologist and radiologist that the child's dose exceeds the acceptable adult dose levels. Most CT scanners display two radiation dose indices: CT dose index (CTDI_VOL) and dose length product (DLP) (the product of the CTDI_VOL and length of the patient scanned) at the end of the scan. These indices are based on an adult sized phantom. Furthermore, most scanners assume that the patient is an adult and estimate the CTDI_VOL and DLP for the pediatric patient accordingly. This underestimated dose gives healthcare personnel a false sense of security concerning pediatric dose levels.