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Efthymiou FO, Metaxas VI, Dimitroukas CP, Delis HB, Zikou KD, Ntzanis ES, Zampakis PE, Panayiotakis GS, Kalogeropoulou CP. A retrospective survey to establish institutional diagnostic reference levels for CT urography examinations based on clinical indications: preliminary results. Biomed Phys Eng Express 2023; 9:065005. [PMID: 37651989 DOI: 10.1088/2057-1976/acf582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Objective. To establish institutional diagnostic reference levels (IDRLs) based on clinical indications (CIs) for three- and four-phase computed tomography urography (CTU).Methods. Volumetric computed tomography dose index (CTDIvol), dose-length product (DLP), patients' demographics, selected CIs like lithiasis, cancer, and other diseases, and protocols' parameters were retrospectively recorded for 198 CTUs conducted on a Toshiba Aquilion Prime 80 scanner. Patients were categorised based on CIs and number of phases. These groups' 75th percentiles of CTDIvoland DLP were proposed as IDRLs. The mean, median and IDRLs were compared with previously published values.Results. For the three-phase protocol, the CTDIvol(mGy) and DLP (mGy.cm) were 22.7/992 for the whole group, 23.4/992 for lithiasis, 22.8/1037 for cancer, and 21.2/981 for other diseases. The corresponding CTDIvol(mGy) and DLP (mGy.cm) values for the four-phase protocol were 28.6/1172, 30.6/1203, 27.3/1077, and 28.7/1252, respectively. A significant difference was found in CTDIvoland DLP between the two protocols, among the phases of three-phase (except cancer) and four-phase protocols (except DLP for other diseases), and in DLP between the second and third phases (except for cancer group). The results are comparable or lower than most studies published in the last decade.Conclusions. The CT technologist must be aware of the critical dose dependence on the scan length and the applied exposure parameters for each phase, according to the patient's clinical background and the corresponding imaging anatomy, which must have been properly targeted by the competent radiologist. When clinically feasible, restricting the number of phases to three instead of four could remarkably reduce the patient's radiation dose. CI-based IDRLs will serve as a baseline for comparison with CTU practice in other hospitals and could contribute to national DRL establishment. The awareness and knowledge of dose levels during CTU will prompt optimisation strategies in CT facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fotios O Efthymiou
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | - Vasileios I Metaxas
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | - Christos P Dimitroukas
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
- Department of Medical Physics, University Hospital of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | - Harry B Delis
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | - Kiriaki D Zikou
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | | | - Petros E Zampakis
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | - George S Panayiotakis
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
- Department of Medical Physics, University Hospital of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | - Christina P Kalogeropoulou
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
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Krishnan V, Chawla A, Sharbidre KG, Peh WC. Current Techniques and Clinical Applications of Computed Tomography Urography. Curr Probl Diagn Radiol 2018; 47:245-256. [DOI: 10.1067/j.cpradiol.2017.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Revised: 07/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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