title: Effective patient dose during neuroradiological C-arm CT procedures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to determine the effective dose given to patients during neuroradiological C-arm computed tomography (CT) procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measurements were performed on 48 patients using a dose-area product (DAP) meter. A PC-based Monte Carlo program (PCXMC, STUK, Helsinki, Finland) was used to calculate the effective dose from the DAP values of each patient. Organ doses were also measured with thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) using a human-shaped phantom.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The difference between the organ doses measured using TLDs and PCXMC was not significant (P > 0.05). The mean DAP for 48 patients was 9.41±2.50 Gy·cm2; the mean effective dose for all procedures was 0.30±0.08 mSv. The coefficient for the correlation (R2) between the DAP and the effective dose was 0.97. The conversion factor between the effective dose and DAP was 0.030-0.035 mSv·Gy(-1)·cm(-2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DAP can be used as a dose indicator to calculate the organ dose and effective dose of patients based on Monte Carlo simulation. This method can provide important information on the absorbed dose and enhance the radiation protection of patients during C-arm CT procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. baimei12@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Xianghua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D013819:Thermoluminescent Dosimetry / Q000379:methods