Radioprotection 2024 , 59 ( 3 ), 197 – 202 © SFRP , 2024 https :// doi . org / 10.1051 / radiopro / 2024009
Available online at : www . radioprotection . org
ARTICLE
Establishment of diagnostic reference level for routine CT scan examination in Sokoto state , Nigeria
S . M . Kabeer 1 , 2 , S . A . Aliyu 3 , F . K . Umar 4 , I . Kamal 2 , H . Murat 2 , N . A . Muhammad 5 and M . K . A Karim 2 ,*
1 Department of Physics , Kogi State University of Education , 260001 Ankpa , Nigeria . 2 Department of Physics , Faculty of Science , Universiti Putra Malaysia , Serdang 43400 , Selangor , Malaysia . 3 Department of Radiology , Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto , 840004 Sokoto State , Nigeria . 4 Department of Radiology , Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto , 840004 Sokoto , Nigeria . 5 College of Health Sciences , University Malaya Medical Centre , 59200 Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia .
Received : 8 November 2023 / Accepted : 4 March 2024 Abstract – Diagnostic Reference Levels ( DRLs ) are embedded into the optimization procedure to regulate CT dose and diagnostic quality . The purpose of this research was to establish the local DRLs and radiation dose exposure for CT scans at the Sokoto State Advanced Medical Diagnostic Center , Nigeria . 190 patients who had CT head , chest , and abdomen-pelvis scans were collected and evaluated for this study . It was established that the DRLs for CTDI vol for the head , thorax , and abdomen-pelvis were 48.2 , 9.44 , and 8.02 , respectively with DLP DRLs in mGy . cm were 1044 , 372 , and 646 . When comparing head CTs , our CTDI vol DRL is lower than many international standards , yet our DLP DRL is also below those of other nations . The chest CT DRL from Sokoto state is comparable to the DLP standards of some nations , although its CTDI vol is higher . The abdomen-pelvis CTDI vol DRLs are lower than those of the UK and US , thus necessitating the implementation of a controlled and optimized protocol in order to guarantee patient safety while maintaining image quality .
Keywords : computed tomography / dosimetry / diagnostic imaging / radiation medical / optimisation
1 Introduction
Godfrey Hounsfield ’ s introduction of CT scanner in 1972 was a game-changer for diagnostic medicine and radiology . This type of scanning machine uses X-ray images to generate high-contrast images of the human anatomy . This process has enabled the precise identification and treatment of numerous patients , thus making it possible for surgeons to perform operations that were thought to be almost impossible . Nevertheless , worries have been expressed about the wellbeing of patients , who might be subjected to hazardous levels of ionizing radiation during CT scans ( Albahiti et al ., 2022 ). Due to lack of optimization in delivery practices , CT scans have been previously linked to severe deterministic and stochastic effects ( Kang et al ., 2021 ; Karim et al ., 2016b ).
Over the past three to five years , the use of CT has increased worldwide , necessitating extensive research on optimization via DRLs especially in Nigeria . A quantitative cross-sectional study by Abdulkadir et al . evaluated the
* Corresponding author : mkhalis @ upm . edu . my knowledge of diagnostic reference levels ( DRLs ) among computed tomography ( CT ) radiographers in northern Nigeria , which revealed a lack of understanding of DRLs ( Abdulkadir et al ., 2021 ). In order to optimize the use of diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine exposure in Nigeria , a national survey was conducted to establish DRLs ( Buhari and Buhari , 2021 ; Jibiri and Olowookere , 2016a ). Previously , Dambele et al . conducted a retrospective , cross-sectional study to determine the preliminary local DRLs for radionuclide bone tomography in a tertiary hospital in southwest Nigeria ( Dambele et al ., 2021 ).
DRLs are an optimization technique in radiology that ensure patients get the right radiation doses without affecting the image quality ( AlNaemi et al ., 2020 ). In Nigeria , numerous studies have been conducted to evaluate the use of DRLs in medical imaging . Jibiri et al . ( 2016 ) evaluated the dose-area product of common radiographic examinations in order to establish an preliminary diagnostic reference level ( PDRL ) in Southwestern Nigeria ( Jibiri and Olowookere , 2016b ). According to their findings , a more comprehensive national dose survey is required to establish a national reference dose . Buhari and Buhari ( 2021 ) conducted a review to establish a