Survey of doses and frequency of X-ray examinations on children at the intensive care unit of a large reference pediatric hospital.
OBJECTIVE
This work aims to evaluate the entrance surface dose (ESD), the body organ dose (BOD) and the effective dose (E) resulting from pediatric radiological procedures with the use of portable X-ray equipments.


METHODS
The software DoseCal was used to evaluate the doses imparted to patients. The children were classified according to their weight and age groups, and the study included three sectors of the intensive care unit of a large reference pediatric hospital in Rio de Janeiro.


RESULTS
A total of 518 radiographs have been performed, (424 for chest and 94 for abdomen). The statistical data were compared with previously published results. The BOD is presented for the most exposed organs.


CONCLUSIONS
The mean value of ESD and E varied widely among neonates. The highest number of radiographs per infant peaked 33 for chest examination in the age group 0-1 year.
Pedrosa de Azevedo
Ana Cecília
AC
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sérgio Arouca, Centro de Estudos da Saúde do Trabalhador e Ecologia Humana-CESTEH, Rua Leopoldo Bulhões 1480, Manguinhos 21041-210, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. acpa@ensp.fiocruz.br
Osibote
Adelaja Otolorin
AO
Bastos Boechat
Márcia Cristina
MC
D000465:Algorithms; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011874:Radiometry