Appraisal of Radiation Dose Received in Abdominal Computed Tomography Patients

While the benefits of CT exceed the potential effects of radiation exposure to patients, increasing radiation doses to the population have raised a compelling case for reduction of radiation exposure from CT. In Sudan, there was a remarkable increase of CT examinations performed. Therefore, radiation dose optimization is mandatory because of the risks associated with exposure to radiation. In this study, we have investigated the possibility of reduction patient dose in CT scan for abdomen at a constant level of image quality by adjustment of the tube current to the patient size. A total of 37 patients referred to CT centers in the period of the study with abdominal disturbances. Organ and surface dose to specific radiosensitive organs was estimated by using National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) guidelines. The mean ED values calculated were [2.43 + 0.85] for CT scan abdomen examinations, from the Hospital A and [6.57 + 2.38] from the Hospital B. As comparison the results with NRPB and UNSCEAR, the effective dose from CT examinations were in general relatively high, typically 1- 30 mSv. These doses can often approach or exceed levels known to increase the probability of cancer. More than a 50 percent reduction in patient dose is possible by appropriate choice of scan parameters.