[Audit on pelvimetry at a polyvalent radiology department].
OBJECTIVE
Study of the dose absorbed by the fetus during CT pelvimetry.


METHODS
Twenty consecutive pelvimetries on pregnant women showed the mean fetal location in regard of the maternal pelvic skeleton (retrospective study). Then, thermoluminescent radiation detectors were put in the antropomorph phantom slices, in housing correspondent to the fetal's volume. The location of this volume has been determined by the first study. Two different CT units were tested.


RESULTS
In case of cephalic presentation, the maximum fetal dose was 3 mGy. In case of pelvic presentation, because of an additional frontal topogram, the dose reached 3,3 to 3,6 mGy.


CONCLUSIONS
We recommend: 1) reduction of parameters (120kV and 100mAs) for "normal" women; using other parameters for larger women; interval follow-up to evaluate results using these parameters; 2) tilting the bisciatic plane of section so to avoid direct exposure to the fetus; 3) limitation to 25 cm for the lateral scout; suppression of the routine frontal scout in case of pelvic presentation.
Davy-Miallou
C
C
Service de Radiologie Polyvalente Diagnostique et Interventionnelle, Paris, France.
Fraboulet
P
P
Valéro
M
M
Mourey
I
I
Grellet
J
J
Grenier
P
P
D005260:Female; D006748:Hospital Departments; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D010387:Pelvimetry / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital; D012189:Retrospective Studies