Ahmad Mohammadbeigi - MSc Student of Medical Physics, Students Research Committee, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
Karim Khoshgard - Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
Abbas Haghparast - Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
Mohammad Taghi Eivazi - Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
Masoud Rezaei - Medical Physics Research Center, Department of Medical Physics, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

Introduction: Increasing CT scan application increased the cancer risk in pediatrics in recent decays. Imaging centers approach for diagnosis of disease cause to different radiation dose to patients.  Because  of  rapid  pediatrics  body  growth,  the  most  important  challenge to determining the radiation dose is wide variations of size in different ages. Thus, we used Size- specific dose estimates (SSDE) to achievement more accurate radiation dose assessment. In this study the radiation dose of head examinations of a general hospital (Trauma center of western Iran) is compared to a pediatrics hospital to find which one has a better approach for dose management.   Materials and Methods: We evaluated the total number of ۲۸۰ CT scans in four age groups (≤۱, ۲-۵, ۶-۱۰, ۱۱-۱۵ years. Number of ۳۵ CT scans selected for every age group in both hospitals, separately. Volume Computed Tomography Dose Index (CTDIV), Dose Length Product (DLP), default phantom (۱۶ or ۳۲ cm) and age were recorded in prepared sheets using PACS viewer. Water equivalent diameter (DW) and SSDE calculated using the AAPM TG-۲۲۰. Third and first quartile and mean ± SD were acquired using SPSS (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL).   Results: Third quartile of SSDE was ۱۹.۶۴, ۱۸.۷۰, ۱۸.۴۹ and ۱۸.۱۳ mGy in general hospital; ۱۳.۷۸, ۱۱.۹۲, ۱۱.۹۴ and ۲۰.۷۷ mGy for pediatrics hospital in age groups of ≤۱, ۲-۵, ۶-۱۰, ۱۱- ۱۵ years respectively. Third quartile of DLP was ۳۱۷.۴, ۳۴۴.۷, ۳۴۴.۷ and ۳۴۴.۶ mGy in general hospital; ۱۲۸.۵, ۱۳۶.۵, ۱۵۲.۵ and ۲۵۰.۸ mGy for pediatrics hospital in age groups of ≤۱, ۲-۵, ۶-۱۰, ۱۱-۱۵ years respectively. Third quartile of CTDIV was ۱۸.۳ mGy for all age categories in general hospital; ۱۱.۵, ۱۱.۵, ۱۱.۵, and ۲۱.۱mGy for pediatrics hospital in age groups of ≤۱, ۲-۵, ۶-۱۰, ۱۱-۱۵ years respectively.   Conclusion: General hospital gives the higher radiation dose to pediatrics for head scans with the exception of ۱۱-۱۵ years’ group. Optimizing the protocols according to the patient size is essential in both hospitals. Finally, pediatric hospital has a better dose management for pediatrics CT scans.

Radiation Dose General Hospital Pediatrics Hospital, Size-specific, Dose Estimates, CTDIV