Badawy Mohamed Khaldoun, Lane Hannah, Galea Michael
Monash Imaging, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
Department of Radiology, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.
Curr Probl Diagn Radiol. 2019 Jul-Aug;48(4):359-362. doi: 10.1067/j.cpradiol.2018.05.010. Epub 2018 May 24.
The increasing utilization of computed tomography scans exposes patients to significant amounts of radiation. One of the factors that can result in unnecessary radiation dose is scanning beyond the clinically indicated anatomical region. This study aims to assess the optimization in overscan frequency, scan length, and radiation dose following targeted educational talks aimed to address a routinely over scanned protocol; the computed tomography Neck. A targeted radiation awareness talk regarding scan adherence as a method of radiation dose optimization was delivered to all medical imaging technologists employed at a large teaching hospital. An audit of the radiation dose associated with computed tomography Neck protocols was conducted in the month before, a month after and 1 year after the awareness talk. Results show that following the radiation awareness talks there was a 15% reduction in overscan frequency, an average over scan length reduction of 33% and a 20% reduction in overall radiation dose. The targeted nature of the talk, explicitly addressing scan range in the neck region, significantly reduced radiation dose to the patients. The results of this study are effective in illustrating the potential clinical radiation dose saving from strict adherence to scan range.
计算机断层扫描（CT）的使用日益增加，使患者暴露于大量辐射中。导致不必要辐射剂量的因素之一是扫描范围超出临床指示的解剖区域。本研究旨在评估针对常规过度扫描方案（颈部计算机断层扫描）开展针对性教育讲座后，在过度扫描频率、扫描长度和辐射剂量方面的优化情况。针对一家大型教学医院的所有医学影像技术人员开展了一次关于将扫描依从性作为辐射剂量优化方法的针对性辐射意识讲座。在讲座前一个月、讲座后一个月和讲座后一年，对与颈部计算机断层扫描方案相关的辐射剂量进行了审核。结果显示，在开展辐射意识讲座后，过度扫描频率降低了15%，平均过度扫描长度减少了33%，总体辐射剂量降低了20%。讲座的针对性，明确针对颈部区域的扫描范围，显著降低了患者的辐射剂量。本研究结果有效地说明了严格遵守扫描范围在临床辐射剂量节省方面的潜力。
