Entrance Skin Dose Measurement for Diagnostic Spinal Radiographic Examinations in King Khalid Hospital, Saudi Arabia: A Prospective Study

• Main Authors: Yousif Mohamed Abdallah, Nouf Hussain Abuhadi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited 2020-03-01
• Series: Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research
• Subjects: radiation dose; traumatic; vertebra
• Online Access: https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/13555/42897_F(SL)_CE[Ra1]_KM_PF1(ShG_OM)_PFA(SHU)_PN(SL).pdf

Introduction: Radiographic examinations has necessary role in the identification of spine injuries and pathologies. There are many hazards associated with the radiation exposure which included the acute (radiation injury) and chronic exposure effects (cancer). Aim: To measure the entrance skin dose of spine vertebra (cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral) in AP and Lateral Views. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted with a sample of 250 adults and 100 paediatrics patients. The imaging apparatus, which was used in this study was Siemens with pipe Filtration 2.0-3.0 mm of AL/70 KVp. The parameters of patients collected were patients’ characteristics and exposure factors. The dose was measured using Entrance Skin Dose (ESD) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) formula and compared nationally and internationally. Results: The measured exposure parameters were 78.1±5.7 and 19.9±7.8 for the machine kVp and mAs, respectively. The measured ESD dose for cervical, thoracic, Lumbosacral (AP and LAT.) and sacral (AP) for adult population were 0.11±0.06 mGy and 0.15±0.07 mGy, (0.86±0.06 and 0.91±0.09 mGy, 0.88±0.07 and 0.92±0.09 mGy and 0.25±0.04 mGy, respectively. Similarly, measured ESD dose for cervical, thoracic, Lumbosacral (AP and LAT.) and sacral (AP) for paediatrics population were 0.09±0.01 mGy and 0.12±0.07 mGy, 0.32±0.03 mGy and 0.42±0.06 mGy, 0.38±0.06 and 0.74±0.08 mGy and 0.09±0.01, respectively. Conclusion: The results of the study were within the range of permissible dose of the spine vertebrae dose (4.0-30.0 mGy). More studies are recommended to study radiation dose of the spine vertebrae with large patients’ data and more than one modalities to compare.