A Comparative Study of Radiation Dose From Chest CT Scan Examinations in Two Imaging Centers in Duhok Province, Kurdistan, Iraq.

Background CT is among the most widely used diagnostic imaging techniques worldwide, providing significant advantages and invaluable diagnostic insights for detecting a wide range of diseases across various organs. However, it involves exposing patients to relatively high levels of ionizing radiation. Objective This study aims to document the radiation doses from chest CT scans performed at Azadi Teaching Hospital in Duhok Province and compare them with those recorded at the 3-Tesla Center for Advanced MRI and CT Scanning, also located in Duhok, using diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) as a benchmark. Materials and methods Data were gathered from the CT scanners and their data management systems at both Azadi Teaching Hospital and the 3-Tesla Center for Advanced MRI and CT Scanning. The study included daily records of unenhanced chest CT scans for 200 patients, with 100 scans from each facility. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 27.0 (Released 2020; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA), and the DRLs were compared between the two centers. Results The gender distribution was nearly equal across both facilities, with most patients aged between 61 and 70. The mean volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) for chest CT scans was 279.39 mGy at Azadi Teaching Hospital and 227.14 mGy at the 3-Tesla Center. The mean dose length product (DLP) values were 655.14 mGy·cm and 789.61 mGy·cm, respectively, while the mean effective dose (ED) values were 9.171 mSv at Azadi Teaching Hospital and 11.054 mSv at the 3-Tesla Center. Interestingly, although the mean DLP and ED values were lower at Azadi Teaching Hospital compared to the 3-Tesla Center, the CTDIvol values did not show a statistically significant difference. Conclusions This study highlights the disparities in DRLs for chest CT scans between two medical institutions in Duhok Province. Higher mAs, DLP, and ED values were observed in some cases, suggesting that adult CT scanning protocols in Duhok may benefit from dose optimization strategies. Analyzing the impact of scanning parameters on dose descriptors and patient exposure, along with their effects on image quality, will help achieve the optimal balance for accurate diagnoses. Moreover, further research is needed to explore additional opportunities for dose optimization in this context.