title: A survey in Portuguese X-ray fluoroscopy equipment: dose rates and image quality.
abstract: X-ray fluoroscopy is essential in both diagnosis and medical intervention, although it may contribute to significant radiation doses to patients that have to be optimised and justified. Therefore, it is crucial to the patient to be exposed to the lowest achievable dose without compromising the image quality. The purpose of this study was to perform an analysis of the quality control measurements, particularly dose rates, contrast and spatial resolution of Portuguese fluoroscopy equipment and also to provide a contribution to the establishment of reference levels for the equipment performance parameters. Measurements carried out between 2007 and 2013 on 143 fluoroscopy equipment distributed by 34 nationwide health units were analysed. The measurements suggest that image quality and dose rates of Portuguese equipment are congruent with other studies, and in general, they are as per the Portuguese law. However, there is still a possibility of improvements intending optimisation at a national level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Exact and Natural Sciences, Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Nuno G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus da Caparica, Portugal j.coutinho@campus.fct.unl.pt.
authors.forename: Guilherme M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Coutinho
authors.affiliation: MedicalConsult S.A., Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Hugo R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Trindade
authors.affiliation: Department of Exact and Natural Sciences, Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Gilda R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.affiliation: MercuriusHealth S.A., Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Carvoeiras
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D005471:Fluoroscopy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D011174:Portugal; D011786:Quality Control; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014965:X-Rays