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Task-based assessment of neck CT protocols using patient-mimicking phantoms-effects of protocol parameters on dose and diagnostic performance. Eur Radiol 2020; 31:3177-3186. [PMID: 33151393 PMCID: PMC8043932 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-020-07374-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Objectives To assess how modifying multiple protocol parameters affects the dose and diagnostic performance of a neck CT protocol using patient-mimicking phantoms and task-based methods. Methods Six patient-mimicking neck phantoms containing hypodense lesions of 1 cm diameter and 30 HU contrast and one non-lesion phantom were examined with 36 CT protocols. All possible combinations of the following parameters were investigated: 100- and 120-kVp tube voltage; tube current modulation (TCM) noise levels of SD 7.5, 10, and 14; pitches of 0.637, 0.813, and 1.388; filtered back projection (FBP); and iterative reconstruction (AIDR 3D). Dose-length products (DLPs) and lesion detectability (assessed by 14 radiologists) were compared with the clinical standard protocol (120 kVp, TCM SD 7.5, 0.813 pitch, AIDR 3D). Results The DLP of the standard protocol was 25 mGy•cm; the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.839 (95%CI: 0.790–0.888). Combined effects of tube voltage reduction to 100 kVp and TCM noise level increase to SD 10 optimized protocol performance by improving dose (7.3 mGy•cm) and detectability (AUC 0.884, 95%CI: 0.844–0.924). Diagnostic performance was significantly affected by the TCM noise level at 120 kVp (AUC 0.821 at TCM SD 7.5 vs. 0.776 at TCM SD 14, p = 0.003), but not at 100-kVp tube voltage (AUC 0.839 at TCM SD 7.5 vs. 0.819 at TCM SD 14, p = 0.354), the reconstruction method at 100 kVp (AUC 0.854 for AIDR 3D vs. 0.806 for FBP, p < 0.001), but not at 120-kVp tube voltage (AUC 0.795 for AIDR 3D vs. 0.793 for FBP, p = 0.822), and the tube voltage for AIDR 3D reconstruction (p < 0.001), but not for FBP (p = 0.226). Conclusions Combined effects of 100-kVp tube voltage, TCM noise level of SD 10, a pitch of 0.813, and AIDR 3D resulted in an optimal neck protocol in terms of dose and diagnostic performance. Protocol parameters were subject to complex interactions, which created opportunities for protocol improvement. Key Points • A task-based approach using patient-mimicking phantoms was employed to optimize a CT system for neck imaging through systematic testing of protocol parameters. • Combined effects of 100-kVp tube voltage, TCM noise level of SD 10, a pitch of 0.813, and AIDR 3D reconstruction resulted in an optimal protocol in terms of dose and diagnostic performance. • Interactions of protocol parameters affect diagnostic performance and should be considered when optimizing CT techniques. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00330-020-07374-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Smith-Bindman R, Chu P, Wang Y, Chung R, Lopez-Solano N, Einstein AJ, Solberg L, Cervantes LF, Yellen-Nelson T, Boswell W, Delman BN, Duong PA, Goode AR, Kasraie N, Lee RK, Neill R, Pahwa A, Pike P, Roehm J, Schindera S, Starkey J, Suntharalingam S, Jeukens CRLPN, Miglioretti DL. Comparison of the Effectiveness of Single-Component and Multicomponent Interventions for Reducing Radiation Doses in Patients Undergoing Computed Tomography: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med 2020; 180:666-675. [PMID: 32227142 PMCID: PMC7105953 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Importance Computed tomography (CT) radiation doses vary across institutions and are often higher than needed. Objective To assess the effectiveness of 2 interventions to reduce radiation doses in patients undergoing CT. Design, Setting, and Participants This randomized clinical trial included 864 080 adults older than 18 years who underwent CT of the abdomen, chest, combined abdomen and chest, or head at 100 facilities in 6 countries from November 1, 2015, to September 21, 2017. Data analysis was performed from October 4, 2017, to December 14, 2018. Interventions Imaging facilities received audit feedback alone comparing radiation-dose metrics with those of other facilities followed by the multicomponent intervention, including audit feedback with targeted suggestions, a 7-week quality improvement collaborative, and best-practice sharing. Facilities were randomly allocated to the time crossing from usual care to the intervention. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary outcomes were the proportion of high-dose CT scans and mean effective dose at the facility level. Secondary outcomes were organ doses. Outcomes after interventions were compared with those before interventions using hierarchical generalized linear models adjusting for temporal trends and patient characteristics. Results Across 100 facilities, 864 080 adults underwent 1 156 657 CT scans. The multicomponent intervention significantly reduced proportions of high-dose CT scans, measured using effective dose. Absolute changes in proportions of high-dose scans were 1.1% to 7.9%, with percentage reductions in the proportion of high-dose scans of 4% to 30% (abdomen: odds ratio [OR], 0.82; 95% CI, 0.77-0.88; P < .001; chest: OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.86-0.99; P = .03; combined abdomen and chest: OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.41-0.59; P < .001; and head: OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.66-0.76; P < .001). Reductions in the proportions of high-dose scans were greater when measured using organ doses. The absolute reduction in the proportion of high-dose scans was 6.0% to 17.2%, reflecting 23% to 58% reductions in the proportions of high-dose scans across anatomical areas. Mean effective doses were significantly reduced after multicomponent intervention for abdomen (6% reduction, P < .001), chest (4%, P < .001), and chest and abdomen (14%, P < .001) CT scans. Larger reductions in mean organ doses were 8% to 43% across anatomical areas. Audit feedback alone reduced the proportions of high-dose scans and mean dose, but reductions in observed dose were smaller. Radiologist's satisfaction with CT image quality was unchanged and high during all periods. Conclusions and Relevance For imaging facilities, detailed feedback on CT radiation dose combined with actionable suggestions and quality improvement education significantly reduced doses, particularly organ doses. Effects of audit feedback alone were modest. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03000751.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Smith-Bindman
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco
- Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Philip Chu
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Yifei Wang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Robert Chung
- Department of Demography, University of California, Berkeley
| | - Naomi Lopez-Solano
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Andrew J. Einstein
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
- New York–Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Leif Solberg
- HealthPartners Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | | | | | - William Boswell
- Department of Radiology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Bradley N. Delman
- Department of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Phuong-Anh Duong
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Allen R. Goode
- Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, University of Virginia Health System, Virginia
| | - Nima Kasraie
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
| | - Ryan K. Lee
- Department of Radiology, Einstein Healthcare Network, New York, New York
| | - Rebecca Neill
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Anokh Pahwa
- Department of Radiology Sciences, Olive View UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | | | - Jodi Roehm
- Center for Diagnostic Imaging, St Louis Park, Minnesota
| | | | - Jay Starkey
- St Luke's International Hospital, Chuo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Cécile R. L. P. N. Jeukens
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Diana L. Miglioretti
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis
- Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Seattle
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Zygmont ME, Neill R, Dharmadhikari S, Duong PAT. Achieving CT Regulatory Compliance: A Comprehensive and Continuous Quality Improvement Approach. Curr Probl Diagn Radiol 2020; 49:306-311. [PMID: 32178932 DOI: 10.1067/j.cpradiol.2020.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Computed tomography (CT) represents one of the largest sources of radiation exposure to the public in the United States. Regulatory requirements now mandate dose tracking for all exams and investigation of dose events that exceed set dose thresholds. Radiology practices are tasked with ensuring quality control and optimizing patient CT exam doses while maintaining diagnostic efficacy. Meeting regulatory requirements necessitates the development of an effective quality program in CT. This review provides a template for accreditation compliant quality control and CT dose optimization. The following paper summarizes a large health system approach for establishing a quality program in CT and discusses successes, challenges, and future needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Zygmont
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.
| | - Rebecca Neill
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA; Environmental Health and Safety Office, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Shalmali Dharmadhikari
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA; Environmental Health and Safety Office, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Phuong-Anh T Duong
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
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Chen R, Paschalidis IC, Hatabu H, Valtchinov VI, Siegelman J. Detection of unwarranted CT radiation exposure from patient and imaging protocol meta-data using regularized regression. Eur J Radiol Open 2019; 6:206-211. [PMID: 31194104 PMCID: PMC6551377 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejro.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Variability in radiation exposure from CT scans can be appropriate and driven by patient features such as body habitus. Quantitative analysis may be performed to discover instances of unwarranted radiation exposure and to reduce the probability of such occurrences in future patient visits. No universal process to perform identification of outliers is widely available, and access to expertise and resources is variable. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study is to develop an automated outlier detection procedure to identify all scans with an unanticipated high radiation exposure, given the characteristics of the patient and the type of the exam. MATERIALS AND METHODS This Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective cohort study was conducted from June 30, 2012 - December 31, 2013 in a quaternary academic medical center. The de-identified dataset contained 28 fields for 189,959 CT exams. We applied the variable selection method Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) to select important variables for predicting CT radiation dose. We then employed a regression approach that is robust to outliers, to learn from data a predictive model of CT radiation doses given important variables identified by LASSO. Patient visits whose predicted radiation dose was statistically different from the radiation dose actually received were identified as outliers. RESULTS Our methodology identified 1% of CT exams as outliers. The top-5 predictors discovered by LASSO and strongly correlated with radiation dose were Tube Current, kVp, Weight, Width of collimator, and Reference milliampere-seconds. A human expert validation of the outlier detection algorithm has yielded specificity of 0.85 [95% CI 0.78-0.92] and sensitivity of 0.91 [95% CI 0.85-0.97] (PPV = 0.84, NPV = 0.92). These values substantially outperform alternative methods we tested (F1 score 0.88 for our method against 0.51 for the alternatives). CONCLUSION The study developed and tested a novel, automated method for processing CT scanner meta-data to identify CT exams where patients received an unwarranted amount of radiation. Radiation safety and protocol review committees may use this technique to uncover systemic issues and reduce future incidents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruidi Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, United States
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University, 8 St. Mary’s Street, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Ioannis Ch. Paschalidis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, United States
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University, 8 St. Mary’s Street, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Hiroto Hatabu
- Center for Evidence-Based Imaging (CEBI), Brigham and Women’s Hospital, United States
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, United States
| | - Vladimir I. Valtchinov
- Center for Evidence-Based Imaging (CEBI), Brigham and Women’s Hospital, United States
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, United States
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, United States
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Gerbl A, Lewin M, Zeiske T, Ziegert M, Schwarz FB, Hamm B, Scheel M, Jahnke P. Characterization of office laser printers for 3-D printing of soft tissue CT phantoms. J Med Imaging (Bellingham) 2019; 6:021602. [PMID: 30820442 DOI: 10.1117/1.jmi.6.2.021602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of our study is to develop and evaluate a method for radiopaque 3-D printing (R3P) of soft tissue computed tomography (CT) phantoms with office laser printers. Five laser printers from different vendors are tested for toner CT attenuation. A liver phantom is created by printing CT images of a patient liver on office paper. One thousand eight hundred sixty paper sheets are printed with three repeated prints per page, resulting in a stack of 18.6 cm. The phantom is examined with 12 tube current settings. Images are reconstructed using filtered back projection (FBP) and iterative reconstruction [adaptive iterative dose reduction 3D (AIDR 3D)]. Seven radiologists rated image quality of all acquisitions. Toner attenuation of all investigated printers increased linearly with the print template grayscale. The liver phantom reproduced anatomic detail and attenuation values of the patient ( mean ± SD HU difference 12.68 ± 7.74 ). Image quality scores increased with dose but did not vary significantly above a threshold dose for AIDR 3D. Overall, AIDR 3D reconstructed images are rated superior to FBP reconstructions ( p < 0.001 ). In conclusion, R3P with standard office laser printers can generate soft tissue CT phantoms without hardware manipulations but with limited flexibility regarding attenuation properties of the printed toner material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Gerbl
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marcel Lewin
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tim Zeiske
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marco Ziegert
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Bernd Hamm
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Scheel
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Paul Jahnke
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Berlin, Germany
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Li X, Yang K, Liu B. Exam‐level dose monitoring in
CT
: Quality metric consideration for multiple series acquisitions. Med Phys 2019; 46:1575-1580. [DOI: 10.1002/mp.13431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 01/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Xinhua Li
- Division of Diagnostic Imaging Physics Department of Radiology Massachusetts General Hospital Boston MA 02114 USA
| | - Kai Yang
- Division of Diagnostic Imaging Physics Department of Radiology Massachusetts General Hospital Boston MA 02114 USA
| | - Bob Liu
- Division of Diagnostic Imaging Physics Department of Radiology Massachusetts General Hospital Boston MA 02114 USA
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Comparison of Full- and Half-Dose Image Reconstruction With Filtered Back Projection or Sinogram-Affirmed Iterative Reconstruction in Dual-Source Single-Energy MDCT Urography. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2018; 211:641-648. [PMID: 30040466 DOI: 10.2214/ajr.17.19370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to prospectively compare the image quality of and confidence in the presence of a lesion on CT urography images acquired using filtered back projection (FBP) with 100% and 50% radiation doses with those for images simultaneously acquired using sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction with strength 3 (SAFIRE) with 50% and 25% radiation doses for patients with a high risk for urothelial carcinomas. SUBJECTS AND METHODS A total of 150 patients randomly underwent CT urography examinations performed using a dual-source single-energy scanner. After the radiation output of each tube was adjusted, datasets at three radiation dose levels were reconstructed using FBP and SAFIRE. Seven radiologists subjectively assessed image quality and confidence in the presence of a lesion for a total of 1200 datasets. Nonparametric methods for cluster data were used to estimate AUC values for variance methods on the basis of a noninferiority margin of 0.05. RESULTS The mean AUC value for image quality in SAFIRE with a 25% radiation dose was significantly lower than that of FBP with 100% radiation dose (p < 0.05 for all). The mean AUC values for the presence of a lesion were 0.907 and 0.894 for FBP, respectively, at 100% and 50% radiation doses, respectively, and 0.900 and 0.799 for SAFIRE at 50% and 25% radiation doses, respectively. However, the image quality of images acquired with SAFIRE at a 25% radiation dose was significantly inferior to that of images acquired with FBP at a 100% radiation dose. CONCLUSION Regardless of the experience of the radiologist, CT urography images acquired with FBP and SAFIRE with a 50% radiation dose were noninferior to those acquired with FBP with a 100% radiation dose in terms of image quality and confidence in the presence of a lesion, whereas those acquired with SAFIRE with 25% radiation dose were inferior.
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Andersson B, Lundgren S, Lundén M. Trends that have influenced the Swedish radiography profession over the last four decades. Radiography (Lond) 2017; 23:292-297. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radi.2017.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Demb J, Chu P, Nelson T, Hall D, Seibert A, Lamba R, Boone J, Krishnam M, Cagnon C, Bostani M, Gould R, Miglioretti D, Smith-Bindman R. Optimizing Radiation Doses for Computed Tomography Across Institutions: Dose Auditing and Best Practices. JAMA Intern Med 2017; 177:810-817. [PMID: 28395000 PMCID: PMC5818828 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.0445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Radiation doses for computed tomography (CT) vary substantially across institutions. OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of institutional-level audit and collaborative efforts to share best practices on CT radiation doses across 5 University of California (UC) medical centers. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In this before/after interventional study, we prospectively collected radiation dose metrics on all diagnostic CT examinations performed between October 1, 2013, and December 31, 2014, at 5 medical centers. Using data from January to March (baseline), we created audit reports detailing the distribution of radiation dose metrics for chest, abdomen, and head CT scans. In April, we shared reports with the medical centers and invited radiology professionals from the centers to a 1.5-day in-person meeting to review reports and share best practices. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES We calculated changes in mean effective dose 12 weeks before and after the audits and meeting, excluding a 12-week implementation period when medical centers could make changes. We compared proportions of examinations exceeding previously published benchmarks at baseline and following the audit and meeting, and calculated changes in proportion of examinations exceeding benchmarks. RESULTS Of 158 274 diagnostic CT scans performed in the study period, 29 594 CT scans were performed in the 3 months before and 32 839 CT scans were performed 12 to 24 weeks after the audit and meeting. Reductions in mean effective dose were considerable for chest and abdomen. Mean effective dose for chest CT decreased from 13.2 to 10.7 mSv (18.9% reduction; 95% CI, 18.0%-19.8%). Reductions at individual medical centers ranged from 3.8% to 23.5%. The mean effective dose for abdominal CT decreased from 20.0 to 15.0 mSv (25.0% reduction; 95% CI, 24.3%-25.8%). Reductions at individual medical centers ranged from 10.8% to 34.7%. The number of CT scans that had an effective dose measurement that exceeded benchmarks was reduced considerably by 48% and 54% for chest and abdomen, respectively. After the audit and meeting, head CT doses varied less, although some institutions increased and some decreased mean head CT doses and the proportion above benchmarks. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Reviewing institutional doses and sharing dose-optimization best practices resulted in lower radiation doses for chest and abdominal CT and more consistent doses for head CT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Demb
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Philip Chu
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Thomas Nelson
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego
| | - David Hall
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego
| | - Anthony Seibert
- Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis, and Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington
| | - Ramit Lamba
- Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis, and Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington
| | - John Boone
- Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis, and Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington
| | - Mayil Krishnam
- Department of Radiology, University of California, Irvine
| | | | - Maryam Bostani
- Department of Radiology, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Robert Gould
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Diana Miglioretti
- Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis, and Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington
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Li X, Yang K, DeLorenzo MC, Liu B. Assessment of radiation dose from abdominal quantitative CT with short scan length. Br J Radiol 2017; 90:20160931. [PMID: 28402125 DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20160931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess radiation dose for patients who received abdominal quantitative CT and to compare the midpoint dose [DL(0)] at the centre of a 1-cm scan length with the volume CT dose index (CTDIvol). Although the size-specific dose estimate (SSDE) proposed in The American Association of Physicists in Medicine Report No. 204 is not applicable for short-length scans, commercial dose-monitoring software, such as Radimetrics™ Enterprise Platform (Bayer HealthCare, Whippany, NJ), reports SSDE for all scans. SSDE was herein compared with DL(0). METHODS Data were analyzed from 398 abdominal quantitative CT examinations in 165 males and 233 females. The CTDIvol was 4.66 mGy, and the scan length was 1 cm for all examinations. Radimetrics was used to extract patient diameter and SSDE. DL(0) was assessed using a previously reported method that takes into account both patient size and scan length. RESULTS The mean patient diameter was 28.5 ± 6.3 cm (range, 16.5-46.6 cm); the mean SSDE was 6.22 ± 1.36 mGy (range, 3.12-9.42 mGy); and the mean DL(0) was 2.97 ± 0.95 mGy (range, 1.18-5.77 mGy). As patient diameter increased, the DL(0) to CTDIvol ratio decreased, ranging from 1.24 to 0.25; the DL(0) to SSDE ratio also decreased, ranging from 0.61 to 0.38. CONCLUSION The dose to the patients from abdominal quantitative CT may be largely different from CTDIvol and SSDE. This study demonstrates the necessity of taking into account not only patient size but also scan length for evaluating the dose from short-length scans. Advances in knowledge: In CT examinations with 1-cm scan length, dose evaluation needs to take into account both patient size and scan length. An omission of either factor can result in an erroneous result.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhua Li
- Division of Diagnostic Imaging Physics, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kai Yang
- Division of Diagnostic Imaging Physics, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew C DeLorenzo
- Division of Diagnostic Imaging Physics, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bob Liu
- Division of Diagnostic Imaging Physics, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Szczykutowicz TP, Malkus A, Ciano A, Pozniak M. Tracking Patterns of Nonadherence to Prescribed CT Protocol Parameters. J Am Coll Radiol 2016; 14:224-230. [PMID: 27927592 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2016.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Quantification of the frequency, understanding the motivation, and documentation of the changes made by CT technologists at scan time are important components of monitoring a quality CT workflow. METHODS CT scan acquisition data were collected from one CT scanner for a period of 1 year. The data included all relevant acquisition parameters needed to define the technical side of a CT protocol. An algorithm was created to sort these data in groups of irradiation events with the same combinations of scan acquisition parameters. For scans modified at scan time, it was hypothesized that these examinations would show up only once in the organized data. A classification scheme was developed to place each "one-off" examination into a category related to what motivated the scan-time change. RESULTS A total of 132,707 irradiation events were organized into 434 groups of unique scan acquisition parameters. One hundred forty-four irradiation events had acquisition parameters that showed up only once in the data. These "one-offs" were classified as follows: 25% represented rarely used protocols, 17% were due to service scans, 16% were changed for unknown and therefore undesired reasons, 15% were changed by technologists trying to adapt protocol to patient size, 12% were allowable scan-time changes, 8% of scans had tube current maxed out, and 6% of scans were changed to a higher dose mode as requested by radiologists. CONCLUSIONS The outcome of this study suggests many areas of needed technologist training and chances for optimizing this institution's CT protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy P Szczykutowicz
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
| | - Annelise Malkus
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Amanda Ciano
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; Amanda Ciano is now an employee of GE Healthcare, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Myron Pozniak
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
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Grimes J, Leng S, Zhang Y, Vrieze T, McCollough C. Implementation and evaluation of a protocol management system for automated review of CT protocols. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2016; 17:523-533. [PMID: 27685112 PMCID: PMC5874106 DOI: 10.1120/jacmp.v17i5.6164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Revised: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Protocol review is important to decrease the risk of patient injury and increase the consistency of CT image quality. A large volume of CT protocols makes manual review labor‐intensive, error‐prone, and costly. To address these challenges, we have developed a software system for automatically managing and monitoring CT protocols on a frequent basis. This article describes our experiences in the implementation and evaluation of this protocol monitoring system. In particular, we discuss various strategies for addressing each of the steps in our protocol‐monitoring workflow, which are: maintaining an accurate set of master protocols, retrieving protocols from the scanners, comparing scanner protocols to master protocols, reviewing flagged differences between the scanner and master protocols, and updating the scanner and/or master protocols. In our initial evaluation focusing only on abdomen and pelvis protocols, we detected 309 modified protocols in a 24‐week trial period. About one‐quarter of these modified protocols were determined to contain inappropriate (i.e., erroneous) protocol parameter modifications that needed to be corrected on the scanner. The most frequently affected parameter was the series description, which was inappropriately modified 47 times. Two inappropriate modifications were made to the tube current, which is particularly important to flag as this parameter impacts both radiation dose and image quality. The CT protocol changes detected in this work provide strong motivation for the use of an automated CT protocol quality control system to ensure protocol accuracy and consistency. PACS number(s): 87.57.Q‐
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Gandhi NS, Baker ME, Goenka AH, Bullen JA, Obuchowski NA, Remer EM, Coppa CP, Einstein D, Feldman MK, Kanmaniraja D, Purysko AS, Vahdat N, Primak AN, Karim W, Herts BR. Diagnostic Accuracy of CT Enterography for Active Inflammatory Terminal Ileal Crohn Disease: Comparison of Full-Dose and Half-Dose Images Reconstructed with FBP and Half-Dose Images with SAFIRE. Radiology 2016; 280:436-45. [DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2016151281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Cohen A, Hughes K, Fahey N, Caldwell B, Wang CH, Park S. Wide Variation in Radiation Exposure During Computerized Tomography. Urology 2016; 95:47-53. [PMID: 27233928 DOI: 10.1016/j.urology.2016.05.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2016] [Revised: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the variance in computeed tomography (CT) radiation measured via dose-length product (DLP) and effective dose (ED) during stone protocol CT scans. METHODS We retrospectively examined consecutive records of patients receiving stone protocol diagnostic CT scans (n = 1793) in 2010 and 2014 in our health system. Patient age, body mass index (BMI), and gender were recorded, along with the hospital, machine model, year, DLP, and ED of each scan. Multivariate regression was performed to identify predictive factors for increased DLP. We also collected data on head (n = 837) CT scans to serve as a comparison. RESULTS For stone CT scans, mean patient age was 55.1 ± 18.4 years with no significant difference in age (P=.2557) or BMI (P=.1794) between 2010 and 2014. Gender, BMI, and machine model were independent predictors of radiation dosage (P < .0001). Within each BMI class, there was an inexplicable 6-fold variation in the ED for the same imaging test when comparing the lowest and highest CT dose patients. There was no significant change in DLP over time for stone CT scans, but head scan patients in 2014 received lower radiation doses than those in 2010 (P < .0001). Low-dose scans for renal colic (defined as <4 mSv) were underutilized. Substantial variation exists for head scan radiation doses. CONCLUSION Our data demonstrate large variations in diagnostic CT radiation dosage. Such differences within a single institution suggest similar trends elsewhere, warranting more stringent dosage guidelines and regulations for diagnostic CT scans within institutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Cohen
- Section of Urology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Katie Hughes
- Division of Urology, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL
| | - Natalie Fahey
- Division of Urology, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL
| | - Brandon Caldwell
- Division of Urology, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL
| | - Chi Hsiung Wang
- Division of Urology, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL
| | - Sangtae Park
- Division of Urology, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL.
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