Verification of radiation dose calculations during paediatric cystourethrography examinations using MCNP5 and PCXMC 2.0 Monte Carlo codes.

The estimation of the radiological risk in the case of children is of particular importance due to their enhanced radiosensitivity when compared with that of adult patients. The purpose of this study is to estimate the organ and effective doses of paediatric patients undergoing micturating cystourethrography examinations. Since direct measurements of the dose in each organ are very difficult, dose-area products of 90 patients undergoing cystourethrography examinations were recorded and used with two Monte Carlo codes, MCNP5 and PCXMC2.0, to assess the organ doses in these procedures. The organs receiving the highest radiation doses were the urinary bladder (ranging from 1.9 mSv in the newborn to 4.7 mSv in a 5-y old patient) and the large intestines (ranging from 1.5 mSv in the newborn to 3.1 mSv in the 5-y old patient). For all ages the main contributors to the total organ or effective doses are the fluoroscopy projections compared with the radiographs. There was a reasonable agreement between the dose estimates provided by PCXMC v2.0 and MCNP5 for most of the organs considered in this study. In special cases, there were systematic disagreements in organ doses such as in the skeleton, gonads and oesophagus due to the anatomical differences between patient anatomic models employed by the two codes.

Radiation exposure to patients and radiologists during interventional procedures.

Patients who undergo interventional radiological examinations and the medical doctors who perform them receive a noticeable radiation dose. Twenty-six angiographies and six angioplasties were included in the present study. They were classified as examinations of lower limbs, abdominal aorta and aortic arch/carotid artery. Thermoluminescent dosemeters (TLDs) were placed underneath and over the lead apron of the doctors at all of the 32 examinations as well as next to the eyes and over the thyroid of 22 patients. Dose area product (DAP) values, time duration and other parameters were registered. Patients' effective dose (ED) and doses to the various organs were calculated with the aid of ODS-60 software. The EDs were normalised to DAP measured in each procedure. Based on TLD measurements, the Niklason method was applied for the calculation of doctors' ED. The calculated ED by ODS-60 were in the range of 0.00-1.46, 2.63-49.32 and 0.07-45.12 mSv for the three groups, respectively, while E/DAP indices were 0.023, 0.310 and 0.105 mSv Gy(-1) cm(-2). Very good correlation was found between TLD measurements of the eye and the thyroid of the patients and the relative values calculated by ODS-60. The ED for the radiologists ranged from 0.4 to 47.0 µSv for all the procedures. Taking into consideration the annual number of examinations performed in the department, the estimated dose to the radiologists' eyes is considerably high, so wearing leaded glasses is recommended for the optimisation of the procedure.

Monte Carlo estimation of radiation doses during paediatric barium meal and cystourethrography examinations.

Organ doses are important quantities in assessing the radiation risk. In the case of children, estimation of this risk is of particular concern due to their significant radiosensitivity and the greater health detriment. The purpose of this study is to estimate the organ doses to paediatric patients undergoing barium meal and micturating cystourethrography examinations by clinical measurements and Monte Carlo simulation. In clinical measurements, dose-area products (DAPs) were assessed during examination of 50 patients undergoing barium meal and 90 patients undergoing cystourethrography examinations, separated equally within three age categories: namely newborn, 1 year and 5 years old. Monte Carlo simulation of photon transport in male and female mathematical phantoms was applied using the MCNP5 code in order to estimate the equivalent organ doses. Regarding the micturating cystourethrography examinations, the organs receiving considerable amounts of radiation doses were the urinary bladder (1.87, 2.43 and 4.7 mSv, the first, second and third value in the parentheses corresponds to neonatal, 1 year old and 5 year old patients, respectively), the large intestines (1.54, 1.8, 3.1 mSv), the small intestines (1.34, 1.56, 2.78 mSv), the stomach (1.46, 1.02, 2.01 mSv) and the gall bladder (1.46, 1.66, 2.18 mSv), depending upon the age of the child. Organs receiving considerable amounts of radiation during barium meal examinations were the stomach (9.81, 9.92, 11.5 mSv), the gall bladder (3.05, 5.74, 7.15 mSv), the rib bones (9.82, 10.1, 11.1 mSv) and the pancreas (5.8, 5.93, 6.65 mSv), depending upon the age of the child. DAPs to organ/effective doses conversion factors were derived for each age and examination in order to be compared with other studies.

Effective dose variation in pediatric computed tomography: dose reference levels in Greece.

Computed tomography provides high-resolution imaging of the human body. However, it contributes mainly to the doses on the population. Additionally, the fact that children are two to three times more sensitive to the x rays compared to the adults results in the increased need of taking action for the reduction of the dose regarding the computed tomography examinations. The first part of this paper presents the results of an investigation on the variation of doses to children while the second part compares those results with the European standards. This project took place in twelve hospitals distributed throughout the country. The weighted computed dose-index and the dose length product were calculated for four different age-categories (namely 0, 1, 5 and 10-year-old) and for the three most often examinations (brain, thorax and abdomen). Effective dose values were estimated using coefficients and patients' data. The measurements showed that only a few hospitals are taking into account the protocols regarding the age of the children. As a result, many patients receive high doses without this being necessary. Thus, reducing dose methods should be adapted in order to improve the optimization of this high dose modality.

Comparison of dose from radiological examination for scoliosis in children among two pediatric hospitals by Monte Carlo simulation.

The radiation exposures of children undergoing full spine radiography were investigated in two pediatric hospitals in Greece. Entrance surface kerma (Ka,e) was assessed by thermoluminescence dosimetry and patient's effective dose (E) was estimated by Monte Carlo simulation. All required information regarding patient age and sex, the irradiation geometry, the x-ray spectra, and other exposure parameters (tube voltage and current) were registered as well. Values of Ka,e were measured to range from 0.22 mGy to 2.12 mGy, while E was estimated to range from 0.03 mSv to 0.47 mSv. In general, all values were greater in one of the two hospitals, as higher tube currents and exposure times were used in the examinations because of the difference in radiographers' training and practice. Moreover, dose to red bone marrow was found to be between 0.01 to 0.23 mSv and dose to breast ranged between 0.02 and 1.05 mSv depending on the age, projection, and hospital. These values are comparable with literature sources.