title: Evaluation of organ and effective doses during paediatric barium meal examinations using PCXMC 2.0 Monte Carlo code.
abstract: Radiation protection and estimation of the radiological risk in paediatric radiology is essential due to children's significant radiosensitivity and their greater overall health risk. The purpose of this study was to estimate the organ and effective doses of paediatric patients undergoing barium meal (BM) examinations and also to evaluate the assessment of radiation Risk of Exposure Induced cancer Death (REID) to paediatric patients undergoing BM examinations. During the BM studies, fluoroscopy and multiple radiographs are involved. Since direct measurements of the dose in each organ are very difficult if possible at all, clinical measurements of dose-area products (DAPs) and the PCXMC 2.0 Monte Carlo code were involved. In clinical measurements, DAPs were assessed during examination of 51 patients undergoing BM examinations, separated almost equally in three age categories, neonatal, 1- and 5-y old. Organs receiving the highest amounts of radiation during BM examinations were as follows: the stomach (10.4, 10.2 and 11.1 mGy), the gall bladder (7.1, 5.8 and 5.2 mGy) and the spleen (7.5, 8.2 and 4.3 mGy). The three values in the brackets correspond to neonatal, 1- and 5-y-old patients, respectively. For all ages, the main contributors to the total organ and effective doses are the fluoroscopy projections. The average DAP values and absorbed doses to patient were higher for the left lateral projections. The REID was calculated for boys (4.8 × 10(-2), 3.0 × 10(-2) and 2.0 × 10(-2) %) for neonatal, 1- and 5-y old patients, respectively. The corresponding values for girl patients were calculated (12.1 × 10(-2), 5.5 × 10(-2) and 3.4 × 10(-2) %).
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics Department, Medical School, University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Str, Goudi, Athens 11527, Greece.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yakoumakis
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics Department, Medical School, University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Str, Goudi, Athens 11527, Greece anestisdim@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dimitriadis
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics Department, Medical School, University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Str, Goudi, Athens 11527, Greece Medical Physics Department, IASO Hospital, 37-39 Kifissias Str., Maroussi, Athens 15123, Greece.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gialousis
authors.affiliation: Radiological Imaging Department, Ag.Sofia Hospital, Lebadias and Thibon, Goudi, Athens 11527, Greece.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Makri
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics Department, Medical School, University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Str, Goudi, Athens 11527, Greece.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karavasilis
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Aretaieion Hospital University of Athens, 76 Vas Sophias Avenue, Athens 11528, Greece.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yakoumakis
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics Department, Medical School, University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Str, Goudi, Athens 11527, Greece.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Georgiou
mesh_terms: D065638:Absorption, Radiation; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001464:Barium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000502:physiology; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D012984:Software; D014781:Viscera / Q000502:physiology*; D014915:Whole-Body Counting / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D001464:Barium