Radioprotection 60-4 | Page 15

302 A. Boulanouar et al.: Radioprotection 2025, 60( 4), 297 – 305
Table 5. Acquisitions parameters and ours DRL CI of paediatric CT examinations of the abdomen-pelvis based by age group of children.
CI for chestabdomenpelvis CT
Tumoral Extension
Infection / Inflammation
Tumor Control
Age group( Years)
Tube voltage( kV)
Tube charge( mAs)
Number of series
Explored length( cm)
Pitch Our study
Min-Mean-Max
Min-Mean-Max
Min-Mean-Max
Min-Mean-Max
Min-Max
P75
CTDI vol
( mGy)
P75 DLP( mGy)
1 – 5
110 – 110 – 110
47 – 67 – 116
2 – 3.4 – 6
80 – 153 – 276
1 – 1.3
5.4
966
5 – 10
110 – 112 – 130
32 – 77 – 105
3 – 4-7
141 – 194 – 354
0.8 – 1.3
6.3
1300
10 – 15
110 – 114 – 130
38 – 86 – 154
3 – 3.9 – 6
93 – 208 – 335
0.8 – 1.3
7.8
1738
1 – 5
110 – 110 – 110
48 – 60 – 71
1 – 2.7 – 4
36 – 102 – 186
1 – 1.3
4.7
552
5 – 10
110 – 111 – 130
40 – 74 – 106
2 – 3.2 – 6
77 – 147 – 214
0.8 – 1.3
5.8
948
10 – 15
110 – 118 – 130
36 – 75 – 118
1 – 3.2 – 5
83 – 176 – 311
0.8 – 1.3
7.1
1417
1 – 5
110 – 110 – 110
42 – 56 – 77
1 – 1.8 – 4
35 – 81 – 157
1 – 1.3
4.9
471
5 – 10
110 – 113 – 130
27 – 69 – 9
1 – 2.7 – 4
49 – 123 – 195
0.8 – 1.3
5.6
813
10 – 15
110 – 117 – 130
37 – 69 – 99
1 – 2.6 – 4
51 – 137 – 242
0.8 – 1.3
7.6
1106
Table 6. Comparison of ours DRL CI of paediatric head CT scans by age group, with equivalent data from previous studies.
CI of head CT Age Group( Years)
Tumor, mass
Cellulite
Hydrocephalus
Convulsive crisis
Trauma. Haemorrhage
P75
CTDI vol( mGy)
Our study
P75 DLP( mGy. cm)
Switzerland( Wagner et al., 2018)
P75
CTDI vol
( mGy)
P75
CTDI vol
( mGy)
Nigeria( Joseph Zira et al., 2021)
P75 DLP( mGy. cm)
P75 DLP( mGy. cm)
Italy( Granata et al., 2015)
P75
CTDI vol
( mGy)
1 – 5
22
1321
29
414
32
1600
–
–
5 – 10
24
1328
35
538
32
1600
–
–
10 – 15
26
1708
40
678
46,2
1663
–
–
1 – 5
20
849
12
171
28.1
1623
–
–
5 – 10
22
1247
12
176
28.2
1642
10 – 15
29
1306
28
407
28.3
1720
–
–
1 – 5
22
533
27
420
28.1
1623
–
–
5 – 10
25
787
33
520
28.1
1623
–
–
10 – 15
38
875
41
654
29.1
1625
–
–
1 – 5
22
486
–
–
28.1
1623
–
–
5 – 10
22
553
–
–
28.1
1623
–
–
10 – 15
38
808
–
–
39.6
1626
–
–
1 – 5
21
498
27
420
28.1
1623
31
512
5 – 10
24
757
33
520
28.1
1623
56
876
10 – 15
38
991
41
654
39.6
1626
58
989
P75 DLP( mGy. cm) indications are generally lower than those reported in Switzerland( Wagner et al., 2018), with the exception of the 10 – 15 age group for the cellulitis indication. Furthermore, the DRLs CI of DLP for head were significantly higher than the standards set in Switzerland( Wagner et al., 2018) but lower than the DRLs recorded in Nigeria( Joseph Zira et al., 2021). Except for the 10 – 15 age group, the DRLs for CTDI vol related to lung and bronchial infection indications in chest studies exceed those reported in France( Célier et al., 2020) and Italy( Granata et al., 2015). Furthermore, the DRLs for DLP for these indications are significantly higher than the comparable values reported across all age groups in France( Célier et al., 2020) and Italy( Granata et al., 2015). For the5 – 10 and10 – 15 agegroups, the DRLs in this study for CTDI vol and DLP regarding malformation indications are also greater than the equivalent levels reported in France( Célier et al., 2020).
The DRLs for CTDI vol in neuroblastoma cases related to abdomen-pelvis investigations are lower than the statistics reported in Italy( Granata et al., 2015) but higher than those observed in France( Célier et al., 2020). However, the DRLs for this indication in terms of DLP remain higher than the standards set for both France and Italy( Granata et al., 2015; Célier et al., 2020). For certain indications, such as CAP CI, abdominal pain, and ileus, a comparison could not be made due to, to the best of our knowledge, the lack of published results.
4.2 Limitations of the study
Due to the lack of standardization in clinical indications and paediatric groups, comparing our results with the current worldwide diagnostic reference levels for computer tomogra-