Assessment of regional pediatric diagnostic reference levels for panoramic radiography using dose area product

Abstract

Aim: The current work aims to calculate dose area product (DAP) and to determine regional diagnostic reference level (DRL) for pediatric panoramic radiography in Tamil Nadu. Materials and Methods: In this study, DAP was calculated after finding the product of air kerma on the detector side of scanner with the corresponding exposed area. The obtained DAP values were further analyzed, and DRL was calculated using Microsoft Excel. The study was carried out with routine pediatric exposure parameters. Results: The obtained mean, range, and third quartile values for pediatric panoramic radiography are found to be 65 mGycm2, 11–148 mGycm2, and 82 mGycm2, respectively. The proposed DRL is comparable with the other countries' DRL. Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, it was observed that there exists a wide difference in mean doses among the panoramic scanners. The variation in radiation doses between the clinics/hospitals and similar scanners suggests a large potential for optimization of panoramic procedures.

Keywords

• diagnostic reference level
• dose area product
• panoramic radiography
• radiation protection