The effect of increased body mass index on patient dose in paediatric radiography.
Radiation protection is of particular importance in paediatric radiology. In this study, the influence of increased body mass index (BMI) in radiation dose and associated risk was investigated for paediatric patients aged 5-6.5 years, undergoing chest (64 patients) or abdomen (64 patients) radiography. Patients were categorized into normal and overweight, according to the BMI classification scheme. Entrance surface dose (ESD), organ dose, effective dose (ED) and risk of exposure induced cancer death (REID) were calculated using the Monte Carlo based code PCXMC 2.0. Statistically significant increase in patient radiation dose and REID was obtained for overweight patients as compared to normal ones, in both chest and abdomen examinations (Wilcoxon singed-rank test for paired data, p<0.001). The percentage increase in overweight as compared to normal patients of ESD, organ dose (maximum value), ED and REID was 13.6%, 24.4%, 18.9% and 20.6%, respectively, in case of chest radiographs. Corresponding values in case of abdomen radiographs were 15.0%, 24.7%, 21.8% and 19.8%, respectively. An increased BMI results in increased patient radiation dose in chest and abdomen paediatric radiography.
Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras 26504, Greece. Electronic address: arsenoh@gmail.com.
Arsenoi P
AP
Ladia
Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras 26504, Greece. Electronic address: skiado@upatras.gr.
Spyros G
SG
Skiadopoulos
Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras 26504, Greece. Electronic address: akarahaliou@upatras.gr.
Anna Ν
AΝ
Karahaliou
Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras 26504, Greece. Electronic address: messaris@upatras.gr.
Gerasimos A T
GAT
Messaris
Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras 26504, Greece. Electronic address: hdelis@gmail.com.
Harry B
HB
Delis
Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras 26504, Greece. Electronic address: panayiot@upatras.gr.
George S
GS
Panayiotakis
D000367:Age Factors; D001822:Body Burden; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D050177:Overweight; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal / Q000379:methods*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
Body mass index; Paediatric radiography; Radiation dose