title: Optimizing imaging quality and radiation dose by the age-dependent setting of tube voltage in pediatric chest digital radiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The quality and radiation dose of different tube voltage sets for chest digital radiography (DR) were compared in a series of pediatric age groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five hundred children aged 0-14 years (yr) were randomly divided into four groups according to the tube voltage protocols for chest DR: lower kilovoltage potential (kVp) (A), intermediate kVp (B), and higher kVp (C) groups, and the fixed high kVp group (controls). The results were analyzed among five different age groups (0-1 yr, 1-3 yr, 3-7 yr, 7-11 yr and 11-14 yr). The dose area product (DAP) and visual grading analysis score (VGAS) were determined and compared by using one-way analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean DAP of protocol C was significantly lower as compared with protocols A, B and controls (p < 0.05). DAP was higher in protocol A than the controls (p <0.001), but it was not statistically significantly different between B and the controls (p = 0.976). Mean VGAS was lower in the controls than all three protocols (p < 0.001 for all). Mean VGAS did not differ between protocols A and B (p = 0.334), but was lower in protocol C than A (p = 0.008) and B (p = 0.049).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Protocol C (higher kVp) may help optimize the trade-off between radiation dose and image quality, and it may be acceptable for use in a pediatric age group from these results.
authors: Xinjiang Medical University, Affiliated Hospital 1, Medical Imaging Research Center, Urumqi 830054, China.
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Guo
authors: Wen-Ya
authors: WY
authors: Liu
authors: Xiao-Ye
authors: XY
authors: He
authors: Xiao-Shan
authors: XS
authors: Zhou
authors: Qun-Li
authors: QL
authors: Zeng
authors: Bai-Yan
authors: BY
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000592:standards*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000592:standards; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000592:standards*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Chest; Children; Digital radiography; Dose area product; Visual grading analysis score