AVERAGE GLANDULAR DOSES AND NATIONAL DIAGNOSTIC REFERENCE LEVELS IN MAMMOGRAPHY EXAMINATIONS IN TURKEY.

In order to establish national diagnostic reference levels for mammography examinations, entrance skin air kerma, entrance skin dose and average glandular doses (AGDs) were calculated for a total of 25 624 cranio-caudal (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO) projections of 6309 patients for 40-49 and 50-64 age groups. The average entrance skin air kerma and entrance skin dose values for both age groups were found to be higher in MLO projections compared with CC projections. The minimum and maximum values of AGDs were determined as 0.4 and 7.9 mGy for both projections. The maximum numbers of AGDs for CC and MLO projections were calculated in the range of 1.1-1.5 and 1.6-2.0 mGy, respectively. The third quartile values of AGDs were calculated for each compressed breast thickness between 20 and 99 mm. The first national diagnostic reference levels of the country were established for each 10-mm compressed breast thickness in mammography examinations.

Patient doses from CT examinations in Turkey.

PURPOSE: We aimed to establish the first diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for computed tomography (CT) examinations in adult and pediatric patients in Turkey and compare these with international DRLs. METHODS: CT performance information and examination parameters (for head, chest, high-resolution CT of the chest [HRCT-chest], abdominal, and pelvic protocols) from 1607 hospitals were collected via a survey. Dose length products and effective doses for standard patient sizes were calculated from the reported volume CT dose index (CTDIvol). RESULTS: The median number of protocols reported from the 167 responding hospitals (10% response rate) was 102 across five different age groups. Third quartile CTDIvol values for adult pelvic and all pediatric body protocols were higher than the European Commission standards but were comparable to studies conducted in other countries. CONCLUSION: The radiation dose indicators for adult patients were similar to those reported in the literature, except for those associated with head protocols. CT protocol optimization is necessary for adult head and pediatric chest, HRCT-chest, abdominal, and pelvic protocols. The findings from this study are recommended for use as national DRLs in Turkey.

Dose audit for patients undergoing two common radiography examinations with digital radiology systems.

PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the radiation doses delivered to patients undergoing general examinations using computed or digital radiography systems in Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Radiographs of 20 patients undergoing posteroanterior chest X-ray and of 20 patients undergoing anteroposterior kidney-ureter-bladder radiography were evaluated in five X-ray rooms at four local hospitals in the Ankara region. Currently, almost all radiology departments in Turkey have switched from conventional radiography systems to computed radiography or digital radiography systems. Patient dose was measured for both systems. The results were compared with published diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) from the European Union and International Atomic Energy Agency. RESULTS: The average entrance surface doses (ESDs) for chest examinations exceeded established international DRLs at two of the X-ray rooms in a hospital with computed radiography. All of the other ESD measurements were approximately equal to or below the DRLs for both examinations in all of the remaining hospitals. Improper adjustment of the exposure parameters, uncalibrated automatic exposure control systems, and failure of the technologists to choose exposure parameters properly were problems we noticed during the study. CONCLUSION: This study is an initial attempt at establishing local DRL values for digital radiography systems, and will provide a benchmark so that the authorities can establish reference dose levels for diagnostic radiology in Turkey.