Background: Diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) are optimum range of values or diagnostic standard data for a\nparticular procedure by which other imaging measurements must be compared for purposes of optimizing patient\ndose and radiation safety in medical imaging. This study aimed to compare measured dosimetric parameters of the\nlatest 640-Slice Aquilion ONE CT scanner with established DRLs for adult and pediatric head, chest and abdominal\nexaminations as a quality assurance test in order to recommend appropriate radiological safety solutions if\ndifferences existed.\nMethods: A prospective and retrospective study design was applied in this work. Data of measured CT\ndosimetric parameters (patient administered doses) such as dose length product and CT dose index were\ngenerated for pediatric head, chest and abdominal examinations using the Aquilion ONE CT scanner. The\ngenerated database was compared with established international standard DRLs. SPSS version 16 software\nwas used for data processing and analysis.\nResults: The measured volume weighted CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length products (DLPs) were generally\nlower than the ICRP and other internationally recommended DRLs. In particular, the relative deviations from the DRLs\nwere head (CTDIvol = âË?â??57.5 %, DLP = âË?â??33.8 %, p-value = 0.001), chest (CTDIvol = âË?â??94.3 %, DLP = âË?â??86.6 %, p-value = 0.002),\nand abdomen (CTDIvol = âË?â??91.0 %, DLP = âË?â??75.2 %, p-value = 0.001) for pediatric examinations, and head (CTDIvol=+5.\n5 %, DLP=âË?â??4.0 %, p-value = 0.001), chest (CTDIvol = âË?â??80.3 %, DLP = âË?â??56.6 % p-value = 0.001), abdomen (CTDIvol = âË?â??6.\n8 %, DLP=âË?â??54.7 %, p-value = 0.001) for adult examinations respectively.\nConclusion: The CTDIvol and DLP administered doses for both pediatric and adult examinations were lower than their\nrespective DRLs except adult head examination where the measured CTDIvol was 5.5 % higher than the standard\nreference dose. Optimization of practice is needed to reduce dose to head CT examinations when using 640-slice\nAquilion ONE CT scanner.
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