Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Jan;36(1):40-5.
doi: 10.4103/0971-6203.75471.

Radiation safety concerns and diagnostic reference levels for computed tomography scanners in Tamil Nadu

Roshan S Livingstone  1 , Paul M Dinakaran
Affiliations

Radiation safety concerns and diagnostic reference levels for computed tomography scanners in Tamil Nadu

Roshan S Livingstone et al. J Med Phys. 2011 Jan.

Abstract

Radiation safety in computed tomography (CT) scanners is of concern due its widespread use in the field of radiological imaging. This study intends to evaluate radiation doses imparted to patients undergoing thorax, abdomen and pelvic CT examinations and formulate regional diagnostic reference levels (DRL) in Tamil Nadu, South India. In-site CT dose measurement was performed in 127 CT scanners in Tamil Nadu for a period of 2 years as a part of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)-funded project. Out of the 127 CT scanners,13 were conventional; 53 single-slice helical scanners (SSHS); 44 multislice CT (MSCT) scanners; and 17 refurbished scanners. CT dose index (CTDI) was measured using a 32-cm polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)-body phantom in each CT scanner. Dose length product (DLP) for different anatomical regions was generated using CTDI values. The regional DRLs for thorax, abdomen and pelvis examinations were 557, 521 and 294 mGy cm, respectively. The mean effective dose was estimated using the DLP values and was found to be 8.04, 6.69 and 4.79 mSv for thorax, abdomen and pelvic CT examinations, respectively. The establishment of DRLs in this study is the first step towards optimization of CT doses in the Indian context.

Keywords: Computed tomography; diagnostic reference level; effective dose.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mean effective doses for thorax CT examinations from various CT installations
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean effective doses for abdomen CT examinations from various CT installations
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mean effective doses for pelvis CT examinations from various CT installations
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Hatziioannou K, Papanastassiou E, Delichas M, Bousbouras P. A Contribution to the establishment of diagnostic reference levels in CT. B J Radiol. 2003;76:541–5. - PubMed
    1. Livingstone RS, Dinakaran P. Regional survey of CT dose indices in India. Radiat Prot Dosim. 2009;136:222–7. - PubMed
    1. Hart D, Wall BF. UK Population dose from medical x-ray examinations. E J Radiol. 2004;50:285–91. - PubMed
    1. UNSCEAR 2000. Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation. 2000 (New York: United Nations ScientificCommittee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSEAR) - PubMed
    1. Huda W. Dose and image quality in CT. Ped Radiol. 2002;32:709–13. - PubMed