title: Intravenous Contrast Material Administration at High-pitch Dual-source CT Coronary Angiography: Bolus-tracking Technique with Shortened Time of Respiratory Instruction Versus Test Bolus Technique.
abstract: Objective To investigate the feasibility of acquiring the similar homogeneous enhancement using bolus-tracking techniques with shortened respiratory time in prospectively electrocardiogram-gated high-pitch spiral acquisition mode (Flash mode) coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) compared with test bolus technique. Methods One hundred and eighty-four consecutive patients with mean heart rate ≤65 beats per minute undergoing CCTA were prospectively included in this study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. Patients in the group A (n=92) instructed to shorten respiratory time received CCTA using bolus-tracking technique with high-pitch spiral acquisition mode (Flash mode), while those in the group B (n=92) underwent CCTA with test bolus technique. The attenuation in the ascending aorta, image noise, contrast-to-noise ratio and radiation doses of the two groups were assessed. Results There were no significant differences in the mean attenuation values in the ascending aorta (483.18±59.07 HU vs. 498.7±83.51 HU, P=0.183), image noise (21.4±4.5 HU vs. 20.9±4.3 HU, P=0.414), contrast-to-noise ratio (12.1±4.2 vs. 13.8±5.1, P=0.31) between the groups A and B. There were no significant differences in the radiation dose of dynamic monitoring scans (0.056±0.026 mSv vs. 0.062±0.018 mSv, P=0.068) and radiation dose of angiography (0.94±0.07 mSv vs. 0.96±0.15 mSv, P=0.926) between the two groups, while 15 mL less contrast material volume was administered in the group A than the group B. Conclusion Bolus-tracking technique with shortened time of respiratory in Flash mode of dual-source CT yields the similar homogeneous enhancement with less contrast material in comparison to the test bolus technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology Baotou Central Hospital, Baotou 014040, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Guo-Rong
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yue-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Rui-Juan
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Li-Fang
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Li-Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Li-Gang
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chang-Yong
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed