A Survey on Radiation Dose from Computed Tomography Examinations in Phitsanulok Province

Abstract

This research aimed to survey computed tomography (CT) doses in terms of volume weighted computed tomography dose index (CTDI_vol), dose length product (DLP), and calculate effective dose (E) from patients underwent three most frequently performed CT examinations: CT brain, CT chest and CT abdomen protocols, from four hospitals in Phitsanulok province. Scan parameters, scan length and values of CTDI_vol and DLP from thirty adult patients of individual examinations were recorded. Results showed that the 75^th percentile of the average CTDI_vol and DLPs obtained from individual hospitals for CT brain were 51 mGy and 1215 mGy.cm, for CT chest were 21 mGy and 2032 mGy.cm, and for CT abdomen and pelvis were 19 mGy and 2712 mGy.cm. The doses from CT brain obtained from this study were comparable to those of international reports, but doses from CT chest and CT abdomen and pelvis were higher. Thus, establishment of national DRL and strategies for CT dose optimization are important and need to be done.