title: Dose reduction using bismuth shielding during paediatric CT examinations in Slovakia.
abstract: Considering the massive increase of computer tomography (CT) examinations in Slovakia during the last 10 y, it can be expected that a higher radiation load may be observed in the Slovak population. Since child population is more sensitive to radiation than adult population, a monitoring has started to see how high the radiation dose is for paediatric patients during CT examinations in chosen departments in Slovakia. The CT examination of the head is one of the most frequently done examinations in Slovakian departments and that is why measurements were done to clarify how usage of bismuth shields for eyes and thyroid can affect the eye and thyroid doses. For simulation, 215 thermoluminescent dosimeters were exposed on anthropomorphic phantom of a child with and without usage of bismuth shields. The result was that only two of the three chosen departments confirmed a reduction. On the other hand, one of the departments confirmed that the reduction can be up to 56-65 %, which is significant.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Care and Social Work, Trnava University in Trnava, Univerzitné nám 1, 918 43 Trnava, Slovakia. ubikag@gmail.com
authors.forename: L'
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gbelcová
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nikodemová
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Horváthová
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001729:Bismuth; D005123:Eye / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006257:Head / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010372:Pediatrics; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011835:Radiation Protection; D018154:Slovakia; D013819:Thermoluminescent Dosimetry; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D001729:Bismuth