Optimizing Imaging Quality and Radiation Dose by the Age-Dependent Setting of Tube Voltage in Pediatric Chest Digital Radiography.
10.3348/kjr.2013.14.1.126
- Author:
Hui GUO
1
;
Wen Ya LIU
;
Xiao Ye HE
;
Xiao Shan ZHOU
;
Qun Li ZENG
;
Bai Yan LI
Author Information
1. Xinjiang Medical University, Affiliated Hospital 1, Medical Imaging Research Center, Urumqi 830054, China. byl0318@163.com
- Publication Type:Comparative Study ; Original Article ; Randomized Controlled Trial ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- Keywords:
Digital radiography;
Children;
Chest;
Dose area product;
Visual grading analysis score
- MeSH:
Adolescent;
Age Factors;
Analysis of Variance;
Child;
Child, Preschool;
Humans;
Infant;
Infant, Newborn;
Pediatrics/*standards;
Prospective Studies;
*Radiation Dosage;
Radiation Protection/standards;
Radiographic Image Enhancement/*standards;
Radiography, Thoracic/*standards
- From:Korean Journal of Radiology
2013;14(1):126-131
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: The quality and radiation dose of different tube voltage sets for chest digital radiography (DR) were compared in a series of pediatric age groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five hundred children aged 0-14 years (yr) were randomly divided into four groups according to the tube voltage protocols for chest DR: lower kilovoltage potential (kVp) (A), intermediate kVp (B), and higher kVp (C) groups, and the fixed high kVp group (controls). The results were analyzed among five different age groups (0-1 yr, 1-3 yr, 3-7 yr, 7-11 yr and 11-14 yr). The dose area product (DAP) and visual grading analysis score (VGAS) were determined and compared by using one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: The mean DAP of protocol C was significantly lower as compared with protocols A, B and controls (p < 0.05). DAP was higher in protocol A than the controls (p <0.001), but it was not statistically significantly different between B and the controls (p = 0.976). Mean VGAS was lower in the controls than all three protocols (p < 0.001 for all). Mean VGAS did not differ between protocols A and B (p = 0.334), but was lower in protocol C than A (p = 0.008) and B (p = 0.049). CONCLUSION: Protocol C (higher kVp) may help optimize the trade-off between radiation dose and image quality, and it may be acceptable for use in a pediatric age group from these results.
