Quantifying Radiation Dose and Risk in Diagnostic X-ray and Computed Tomography Imaging Procedures

Abstract

This study focused on evaluating the radiation doses received by patients during diagnostic X-ray and CT scan procedures at two healthcare facilities: Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) and Specialist Hospital, Bauchi. The objective was to quantify radiation exposure and identify factors influencing dose variations, aiming to enhance patient safety and optimize imaging protocols. The study employed thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) to measure radiation doses from procedures on 50 patients: 25 receiving X-ray imaging and 25 receiving CT scans. The study recorded an average effective dose of 0.018 mSv for X-ray procedures and 1.7 mSv for CT scans, demonstrating a significantly higher radiation exposure for CT imaging. We compared the experimental results with theoretical dose estimates from the Davies, Kepler, and Faulkner models. The models overestimated patient doses, with deviations reaching up to 46.2%, highlighting discrepancies between theoretical predictions and measured values. The study identified key factors contributing to dose variations, including photon energy, exposure duration, and source-to-target distance. These findings underscore the complex interplay of technical and procedural variables in determining patient radiation exposure. The results emphasize the importance of routine dose monitoring and the calibration of imaging equipment to minimize unnecessary radiation risks. The findings also advocate for the refinement of theoretical models to better align with real-world clinical practices. Overall, this research reinforces the critical need for balancing radiation safety with diagnostic image quality in medical imaging protocols.