On the use of pediatric phantoms in the dose evaluation during computed tomography (CT) thorax examinations

• Published in: Medical physics (Lancaster) Vol. 28; no. 2; pp. 199 - 204
• Main Authors: Giacco, G., Cannata, V., Furetta, C., Santopietro, F., Fariello, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association of Physicists in Medicine 01-02-2001
• Subjects: Anatomy; Child; Child, Preschool; Computed radiography; Computed tomography; computerised tomography; dosimetry; Humans; Infant, Newborn; paediatrics; pediatric; phantom; Phantoms, Imaging; Physicists; Radiation Dosage; Radiography, Thoracic - methods; Radiography, Thoracic - statistics & numerical data; thermoluminescence; Thermoluminescent dosimeters; Thermoluminescent Dosimetry; tomography; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - statistics & numerical data; phantom; thermoluminescence; dosimetry; tomography; pediatric
• ISSN: 0094-2405; 2473-4209
• DOI: 10.1118/1.1344205

This paper presents the dosimetric results obtained during computed tomography (CT) thorax examinations, carried out using two different techniques, i.e., sequential CT (SQCT) and helical CT (HECT). The radiological examinations have been carried out on pediatric phantoms expressly designed and realized. Four different phantoms have been realized, according to the children shapes of 0, 2, 6, and 12 years old. The dosimetric measurements have been carried out using thermoluminescent dosimeters. The comparison of the dosimetric data obtained using the two different techniques shows that there is not any relevant difference between them as far as the entrance dose and the doses received by the critical organs are concerned.