Determination of appropriate radiation doses to paediatric patients in accordance with the as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) principle is important, as it allows for effective optimization of imaging techniques. This study assessed the status of radiation dose levels in paediatric patients undergoing chest X-ray examinations at a tertiary hospital in Ghana. A population encompassing 86 paediatric patients categorised as infants (<1 y), young children (1-5 y) and older children (6–12 y) was selected using a quasi-experimental study design. The patients’ anatomical data and X-ray beam exposure parameters were used to indirectly calculate the entrance surface doses (ESDs) received during the examinations. The infants received the highest mean ESD of 196 μGy (uncertainty = 0.37) compared to 158 μGy (uncertainty = 0.46) among the older children. The risk of developing radiation-induced biological effects was therefore higher for infant patients. The ESDs were generally higher than the internationally recommended reference doses. Careful adoption of internationally accepted exposure factors (high tube voltage and low tube load) is most recommended to optimise the dose.

中文翻译：

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加纳一家三级医院儿科胸片放射剂量水平的现状

根据合理可达到的最低 (ALARA) 原则确定儿科患者的适当辐射剂量很重要，因为它可以有效优化成像技术。本研究评估了在加纳一家三级医院接受胸部 X 光检查的儿科患者的辐射剂量水平状况。使用准实验研究设计选择了一个包含 86 名儿科患者的人群，这些患者分为婴儿（<1 岁）、幼儿（1-5 岁）和年龄较大的儿童（6-12 岁）。患者的解剖数据和 X 射线束暴露参数用于间接计算检查期间接收的入射表面剂量 (ESD)。婴儿接受的平均 ESD 最高，为 196 μGy（不确定性 = 0.37），而 158 μGy（不确定性 = 0. 46) 在年龄较大的儿童中。因此，婴儿患者发生辐射诱导的生物效应的风险更高。ESDs 通常高于国际推荐的参考剂量。最推荐仔细采用国际公认的暴露因素（高管电压和低管负载）来优化剂量。