title: Computed tomography protocols used in staging bronchopulmonary carcinoma: results of a national survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To know the protocols used for staging bronchopulmonary carcinoma by computed tomography in Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Radiologists in 129 hospitals were sent email questionnaires about the organization of their department, scanner type and manufacturer, study extension, techniques employed, and protocol for administering contrast material.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 109 hospitals responded with data from 91 teams. Most hospitals were affiliated with a university, and most departments were organized by organ-systems. Scanners were from four manufacturers, and 68% had either 16 or 64 detectors. In 61% of the hospitals, the dose of contrast agent is modified only in patients with extreme body weights, and in 22% the dose is not individualized. Most hospitals do contrast-enhanced studies of the chest and upper abdomen, 42.4% through a single thoracoabdominal acquisition and 55.9% through independent chest and abdominal acquisitions; there was a significant association between these approaches and the scanner manufacturer's protocols and whether the hospital was affiliated with a university. The most commonly used technical parameters were 120kV with dose modulation and variable milliamperage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is very little variability among hospitals in the type of scanner used, the study extension, and the technical parameters used to stage bronchopulmonary carcinoma. Most centers individualize the dose of contrast agent only in extreme weights. There is a broad division between using one or two acquisitions to image the thorax and abdomen, and the number of acquisitions is related to the scanner manufacturer and whether the hospital is affiliated with a university.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Radiodiagnóstico, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL) - Fundación FISABIO, Alicante, España.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: García Garrigós
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Radiodiagnóstico, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL) - Fundación FISABIO, Alicante, España. Electronic address: j.arenasjimenez@gmail.com.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Arenas Jiménez
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Preventiva, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL) - Fundación FISABIO, Alicante, España.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sánchez Payá
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Radiodiagnóstico, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL) - Fundación FISABIO, Alicante, España.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sirera Matilla
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Radiodiagnóstico, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: À
authors.initials: À
authors.lastname: Gayete Cara
mesh_terms: D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D013030:Spain; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Estadificación de neoplasias; Lung tumor; Multidetector computed tomography; Neoplasia pulmonar; Tomografía computarizada multidetector; Tumor staging