Patient-Based Dose Audit for Common Radiographic Examinations With Digital Radiology Systems: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Khalid M Alshamrani; Abdulkader A Alkenawi; Bushra N Alghamdi; Rawan H Honain; Haneen A Alshehri; Marwah O Alshatiri; Noor Mail; Ahmed Subahi; Shaza S Alsharif; Abdulaziz A Qurashi; Shrooq Aldahery; Reham Kaifi

doi:10.7759/cureus.15005

Patient-Based Dose Audit for Common Radiographic Examinations With Digital Radiology Systems: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Cureus. 2021 May 13;13(5):e15005. doi: 10.7759/cureus.15005.

Authors

Khalid M Alshamrani^{1

2

3}, Abdulkader A Alkenawi^{1

2

3}, Bushra N Alghamdi¹, Rawan H Honain¹, Haneen A Alshehri¹, Marwah O Alshatiri¹, Noor Mail^{1

2}, Ahmed Subahi^{4

2}, Shaza S Alsharif^{1

2

3}, Abdulaziz A Qurashi⁵, Shrooq Aldahery⁶, Reham Kaifi^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, SAU.
² Research Office, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Jeddah, SAU.
³ Medical Imaging, Ministry of the National Guard - Health Affairs, Jeddah, SAU.
⁴ College of Science and Health Professions, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, SAU.
⁵ College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Medina, SAU.
⁶ College of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, SAU.

Abstract

This study aims to audit radiation doses of adult patients who underwent common diagnostic X-ray examinations and compare dose area product (DAP) values with the established International Diagnostic Reference Level (IDRLs). Retrospective cross-sectional records of 339-patients who underwent 699-radiographic examinations between October 2018 and March 2019 were obtained. Patient-related factors, exposure, and DAP data were recorded for the six most common examinations. The mean and 75th percentile of DAPs were recorded and compared to IDRLs values. The 75th percentiles of the locally measured DAPs were below IDRLs for all examinations except for lateral lumbar, AP, and lateral thoracic spine, in which DAP-75th-percentile exceeded all IDRLs by up to 40.7%, 2.8%, 365.5%, respectively. Considering the type of detector used, the mean of the locally measured DAPs significantly exceeded the UK DRLs for the lateral thoracic spine and lateral lumbar spine. Locally measured DAP values were below the IDRLs except for thoracic and lumbar spine projections, which significantly exceeded.

Keywords: common radiographic examination; digital radiology systems; dose-area product; international diagnostic reference level; patient-based dose.