title: Conversion coefficients for determining organ doses in paediatric spine radiography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Knowledge of organ and effective doses achieved during paediatric x-ray examinations is an important prerequisite for assessment of radiation burden to the patient.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Conversion coefficients for reconstruction of organ and effective doses from entrance doses for segmental spine radiographs of 0-, 1-, 5-, 10-, 15- and 30-year-old patients are provided regarding the Guidelines of Good Radiographic Technique of the European Commission.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the personal computer program PCXMC developed by the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (Säteilyturvakeskus STUK), conversion coefficients for conventional segmental spine radiographs were calculated performing Monte Carlo simulations in mathematical hermaphrodite phantom models describing patients of different ages. The clinical variation of beam collimation was taken into consideration by defining optimal and suboptimal radiation field settings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Conversion coefficients for the reconstruction of organ doses in about 40 organs and tissues from measured entrance doses during cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine radiographs of 0-, 1-, 5-, 10-, 15- and 30-year-old patients were calculated for the standard sagittal and lateral beam projections and the standard focus detector distance of 115 cm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The conversion coefficients presented may be used for organ dose assessments from entrance doses measured during spine radiographs of patients of all age groups and all field settings within the optimal and suboptimal standard field settings.
authors: Institute of Clinical Radiology - Paediatric Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Lindwurmstr. 4, 80337, München, Germany, michael.seidenbusch@med.uni-muenchen.de.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Seidenbusch
authors: Karl
authors: K
authors: Schneider
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D015588:Observer Variation; D058958:Organs at Risk / Q000528:radiation effects; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011859:Radiography; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*