Uushona Vera, Boadu Mary, Nyabanda Rose, Diagne Magatte, Inkoom Stephen, Issahaku Shiraz, Hasford Francis, Haiduwa Paulus, Koteng Arthur, Omondi Bob, Diop Adji Yaram, Gilley Debbie Bray
National Radiation Protection Authority of Namibia, Ministry of Health and Social Services, Windhoek, Namibia.
Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Accra, Ghana.
Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2022 Jun 9;198(7):414-422. doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncac074.
This preliminary study aims towards the establishment of regional diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for routine adult computed tomography (CT) examinations. The study was performed on 54 CT facilities from four African countries (Ghana, Kenya, Namibia and Senegal) and the results compared with international DRLs. Data were collected from facilities using a structured questionnaire provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Dose descriptors (volume computed tomography dose index [CTDIvol] and dose length product [DLP]) evaluations were performed on CT head and body phantoms for head, chest and abdomen CT examination protocols using standard methods. The estimated dose indices were compared with console-displayed dose values. Experienced radiologists accepted the diagnostic image quality of the images as per departmental imaging requirements. Median CTDIvol and DLP data from each facility were compiled to estimate the typical dose in each country. National DRLs were established based on the 75th percentile of median values, whereas the regional DRLs were based on the median of the national DRLs. Comparison of measured CTDIvol with console values of all facilities in all four countries was within 20% as recommended. The established CTDIvol DRLs for head CT, chest CT and abdomen CT were 60.9 mGy, 15.2 mGy and 15.7 mGy, respectively. Similarly, that of DLP, DRLs were 1259 mGy.cm, 544 mGy.cm and 737 mGy.cm, respectively for head CT, chest CT and abdomen CT. The established DRLs from this study were comparable to DRLs from other countries with some variations. This study would serve as baseline for establishment of a more generalized regional adult CT DRLs for Africa.
这项初步研究旨在为成人常规计算机断层扫描（CT）检查建立区域诊断参考水平（DRLs）。该研究在来自四个非洲国家（加纳、肯尼亚、纳米比亚和塞内加尔）的54个CT设施上进行，并将结果与国际DRLs进行比较。使用国际原子能机构提供的结构化问卷从各设施收集数据。使用标准方法对头部、胸部和腹部CT检查方案的CT头部和体部模体进行剂量描述符（容积计算机断层扫描剂量指数[CTDIvol]和剂量长度乘积[DLP]）评估。将估计的剂量指数与控制台显示的剂量值进行比较。经验丰富的放射科医生根据部门成像要求认可图像的诊断图像质量。汇总每个设施的CTDIvol和DLP中位数数据，以估计每个国家的典型剂量。基于中位数的第75百分位数建立国家DRLs，而区域DRLs基于国家DRLs的中位数。所有四个国家所有设施的测量CTDIvol与控制台值的比较在建议的20%范围内。为头部CT、胸部CT和腹部CT建立的CTDIvol DRLs分别为60.9 mGy、15.2 mGy和15.7 mGy。同样，对于头部CT、胸部CT和腹部CT，DLP的DRLs分别为1259 mGy.cm、544 mGy.cm和737 mGy.cm。本研究建立的DRLs与其他国家的DRLs相当，但存在一些差异。这项研究将作为为非洲建立更通用的区域成人CT DRLs的基线。
