Evaluation of DAP Values Obtained from Chest X-rays in Children under 12 Years of Age Referred to Educational Hospitals of Birjand University of Medical Sciences in 2020

Abstract

Purpose: Dose Area Product (DAP) is a quantity for radiation risk assessment in diagnostic X-ray tests. Children's tissues are up to 10 times more sensitive to radiation than adults, and life expectancy is higher in children than adults, as well as a higher risk of hematopoietic and mass malignancies in them. Therefore, this study aimed to measure DAP values for X-ray fields adjusted by Birjand radio-technologists in chest X-rays of children under 12 years of age. Materials and Methods: 233 children from Birjand University hospitals who performed chest X-rays were included in the study. To collect data related to DAP, the DAP meter model KermaX plus SDP was used. It should be noted that no intervention was performed in the patient's imaging method and at the time of radiation and measurement of the DAP values, there was no need for the patient's presence. In the end, the measured DAP values were compared with DAP values of other studies. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22 at 5% error level using Anova, t-test, and Pearson correlation tests. Results: Out of 233 patients who were included in the study, 134 males (57.5%) and 99 females (42.5%) participated in the study, it should be noted that there was no significant difference between the mean of DAP in male and female (p=0.52). In our study, the average DAP was 5.78 ± 3.54 μGy.m2 and DAP values in the range of 0.55 μGy.m2 to 15.54 μGy.m2 that were higher than the average of other studies and there was a significant difference. There was a direct relationship between radiation field dimensions and DAP values so that as the dimensions of the radiation field increase, the DAP value increases. There was a significant difference between the mean DAP of the lowest and the highest age groups, lowest and the highest age groups, and lowest and the highest height groups of patients. Conclusion: In our study, it was observed that there is a significant relationship between patients' weight, age, and height, radiation field dimensions with DAP values. The amount of DAP in the present study was significantly higher than in other studies. The most important effective parameter in DAP is the radiation field size and if sufficient optimization is done in imaging parameters (kVp, mAS, field size), the DAP values will be greatly reduced.

Keywords

• Dose Area Product
• Pediatric Radiography
• Chest X-Ray
• Radiation Risk