Comparison of radiation doses to patients undergoing standard radiographic examinations with conventional screen-film radiography, computed radiography and direct digital radiography

• Published in: British journal of radiology Vol. 79; no. 947; pp. 899 - 904
• Main Authors: COMPAGNONE, G, CASADIO BALENI, M, PAGAN, L, CALZOLAIO, F. L, BAROZZI, L, BERGAMINI, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London British Institute of Radiology 01-11-2006
• Subjects: Applied radiobiology (equipment, dosimetry...); Biological and medical sciences; Biological effects of radiation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Radiation Dosage; Radiographic Image Enhancement; Radiography - methods; Tissues, organs and organisms biophysics; Human; Radiation dose; Radiobiology; Radiodiagnosis; Medical imagery; Dosimetry; Digital radiography; Comparative study; Standards
• ISSN: 0007-1285; 1748-880X
• DOI: 10.1259/bjr/57138583

New flat-panel direct digital radiography equipment has recently been installed in our Accident and Emergency Department; its characteristics and versatility are well suited to the work undertaken in this environment. The aim of this study was to compare radiation doses to patients undergoing standard radiographic examinations using conventional screen-film radiography, computed radiography and direct digital radiography; entrance surface dose and effective dose were calculated for six standard examinations (a total of 10 projections) using standard patient exposure parameters for the three imaging modalities. It was found that doses for computed radiography (all examinations) were higher than the doses for the other two modalities; effective doses for direct digital radiography were approximately 29% and approximately 43% lower than those for screen-film radiography and computed radiography, respectively. The image quality met the criteria in the European guidelines for all modalities.