title: A dose comparison survey in CT departments of dedicated paediatric hospitals in Australia and Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure and compare computed tomography (CT) radiation doses delivered to patients in public paediatric hospitals in Australia and Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Doses were measured for routine CT scans of the head, chest and abdomen/pelvis for children aged 3-6 years in all dedicated public paediatric hospitals in Australia and Saudi Arabia using a CT phantom measurement cylinder.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CT doses, using the departments' protocols for 3-6 year old, varied considerably between hospitals. Measured head doses varied from 137.6 to 528.0 mGy(·)cm, chest doses from 21.9 to 92.5 mGy(·)cm, and abdomen/pelvis doses from 24.9 to 118.0 mGy(·)cm. Mean head and abdomen/pelvis doses delivered in Saudi Arabian paediatric CT departments were significantly higher than those in their Australian equivalents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CT dose varies substantially across Australian and Saudi Arabian paediatric hospitals. Therefore, diagnostic reference levels should be established for major anatomical regions to standardise dose.
authors.affiliation: Hussain Al Mohiy, Jenny Sim, Nathan Annabell, Moshi Geso, Giovanni Mandarano, Rob Davidson, Discipline of Medical Radiations, School of Medical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora 3083, Australia.
authors.forename: Hussain Al
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Mohiy
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.forename: Euclid
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seeram
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Annabell
authors.forename: Moshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geso
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mandarano
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Davidson