Dosimetric quantities and effective dose in medical imaging: a summary for medical doctors

Insights into Imaging

Efstathios Efstathopoulos¹  Claudio Granata²  Jonas Andersson³  Graciano Paulo⁴  Reinhard Loose⁵  Eliseo Vano⁶  Guy Frija⁷ 

[1] 2Nd Department of Radiology, Medical Physics Unit, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon University Hospital, 12462, Athens, Greece;Department of Paediatric Radiology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health - IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”, Trieste, Italy;Department of Radiation Sciences, Umea University, Umeå, Sweden;ESTESC-Coimbra Health School, Medical Imaging and Radiotherapy Department, Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra, Rua 5 de Outubro, S. Martinho Do Bispo, 3046-854, Coimbra, Portugal;Institute of Medical Physics, Hospital Nuremberg, Prof.-Ernst-Nathan-Str. 1, 90419, Nuremberg, Germany;Radiology Department, Complutense University, 28040, Madrid, Spain;Université de Paris, 12 Rue de l’École de Médecine, 75006, Paris, France;

关键词: Dosimetric quantities;    Diagnostic reference levels;    Effective dose;    Cumulative dose;    Patient information;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13244-021-01041-2

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

This review presents basic information on the dosimetric quantities used in medical imaging for reporting patient doses and establishing diagnostic reference levels. The proper use of the radiation protection quantity “effective dose” to compare doses delivered by different radiological procedures and different imaging modalities with its uncertainties and limitations, is summarised. The estimates of population doses required by the European Directive on Basic Safety Standards is commented on. Referrers and radiologists should be familiar with the dose quantities to inform patients about radiation risks and benefits. The application of effective dose on the cumulative doses from recurrent imaging procedures is also discussed. Patient summary: Basic information on the measurement units (dosimetric quantities) used in medical imaging for reporting radiation doses should be understandable to patients. The Working Group on “Dosimetry for imaging in clinical practice” recommended that a brief explanation on the used dosimetric quantities and units included in the examination imaging report, should be available for patients. The use of the quantity “effective dose” to compare doses to which patients are exposed to from different radiological procedures and its uncertainties and limitations, should also be explained in plain language. This is also relevant for the dialog on to the cumulative doses from recurrent imaging procedures. The paper summarises these concepts, including the need to estimate the population doses required by the European Directive on Basic Safety Standards. Referrers and radiologists should be familiar with the dose quantities to inform patients about radiation risks and benefits.

【 授权许可】

CC BY