Cumulative effective doses delivered by radiographs to preterm infants in a neonatal intensive care unit.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to determine the number and distribution of radiographs and the cumulative effective radiograph doses (cED) received by a population of preterm infants (PIs) hospitalized in an NICU.


METHODS
We reviewed the files of all preterm infants (gestational age: <34 weeks) who were admitted to an NICU during an 18-month period and were discharged alive. A generalized additive model was used to study the relationship between cED and patient characteristics.


RESULTS
Four hundred fifty files were analyzed. The median gestational age was 30.1 weeks (range: 24.1-33.9 weeks), and the median birth weight was 1250 g (range: 520-2760 g). The median number of radiographs per infant was 10.6 (range: 0-95), and the median cED was 138 microSv (range: 0-1450 microSv). The cumulative dose exceeded 500 microSv in 7.6% of the cases. Factors that influenced the cumulative effective dose were gestational age, birth weight, care procedures, and clinical adverse events.


CONCLUSIONS
Given the potentially life-threatening complications of PIs, cumulative radiograph doses received in the ICU seem low with regard to environmental exposure and international recommendations. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the possible lifetime consequences of exposure to ionizing radiation at this age.
Donadieu
Jean
J
Département Santé et Environnement, Institut de Veille Sanitaire, St Maurice, France. j.donadieu@invs.sante.fr
Zeghnoun
Abdelkrim
A
Roudier
Candice
C
Maccia
Carlo
C
Pirard
Phillipe
P
André
Christine
C
Adamsbaum
Catherine
C
Kalifa
Gabriel
G
Legmann
Paul
P
Jarreau
Pierre-Henri
PH
D001724:Birth Weight; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011859:Radiography