Radiation Measurement and Risk Estimation for Pediatric Patients during Routine Diagnostic Examination

The aim of the present work was to evaluate Entrance Surface Dose (ESD) to the patient using Thermo luminescence dosimeters (TLD) during some common routine pediatrics X-ray examinations in main pediatrics hospitals in Sudan. ESD and Effective Dose (E) for pediatrics have been carried out for 250 patients undergoing five different examinations. The mean ESD ranged for neonates ranged between 0.17 mGy-0.30 mGy per radiograph with scattered thyroid dose 0.01 to 0.19 mGy. The risk of radiation induced cancer of was 0.13 x 10. INTRODUCTION Patient radiation dosimetery is an important deal in both diagnostic and therapeutic departments. The aim is to emphasis that precautions should be taken to limit radiation doses to pediatric patient, worker and co-patient as well as to members of the public . There is substantial evidence to suggest that children are more susceptible to the effects of ionizing radiation than adults. As a consequence of the longer life expectation this places an added burden on staff to attain the best possible results every time. Likewise, the probability that there may be late radiation effects is also higher. Exposures to ionizing radiation are dependent on the age at which exposure occurs. Exposure during childhood results in a likely two or three fold increase in lifetime risk for certain detrimental effects, including solid cancers, compared with that in an adult . In pediatric radiology Infants and children constitute 10% of the total number of radiological examinations. Neonates and children are more sensitive to ionizing radiation than adults, having a risk of developing a radiation-induced cancer, hereditary effects or other serious disorders two to three times than of adults because of their greater cell proliferation rate and long life span expectancy . The reasons for dose variation are multi factorial: patient weight, exposure factors, radiological technique, Focal –film distance (FFD), film-screen combination, speed, equipment type and processing performance . Weight restrictions can minimize the contribution of patient size to the mean dose variability . The aim of presented work was to evaluate radiation dose to the patient using TLD during some common routine pediatrics x-ray diagnostic examinations in main pediatrics Khartoum Tenth Radiation Physics & Protection Conference, 27-30 November 2010, Nasr City Cairo, Egypt 296 state hospitals according to protocol used at different radiological departments then estimate the risk of radiation induce cancer per procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present work was performed in order to evaluate the ESD to pediatrics patients undergoing routine examinations in three main hospitals in Khartoum state –Sudan, namely : Omdurman, Ahmed Gassim ,Ibn-Aof pediatric hospital. Three X-rays machines were used in this work: Two of the X ray units are fixed conventional equipments and the third one is mobiَle X-ray unit. The film type and speed in all hospital was Kodak/400. For each patients, the following data was recorded: age, weight, height and exposure parameters (peak voltage ,kVp , current time product (mAs)).