ICDA-5

Cumulative Ionizing Radiation Exposure from Chest Computed Tomography in a Health Microregion (2018–2022).

Jun 9, 2026, 4:06 PM

2m

CTU in Prague, Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering (Prague, Czechia)

Poster Dosimetry and radiation protection in medicine and biology Poster session

Speakers

Dr Leticia França Fiuza Bacelar BacelarDr Maria da Penha Albuquerque Potiens

Description

Introduction:Chest computed tomography (CT) is widely used in clinical practice, particularly in emergency settings and in the follow-up of respiratory diseases. The progressive increase in the use of this diagnostic method, intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, has raised concerns regarding the cumulative exposure of the population to ionizing radiation and its potential public health impacts.
Objective:To estimate and characterize the accumulated effective dose resulting from chest computed tomography examinations in a health microregion of Vale do Aço, Minas Gerais, Brazil, from 2018 to 2022.
Methods:This is a documentary, exploratory, and descriptive study based on retrospective data extracted from the DICOM headers of 11,047 chest CT examinations performed at two radiology services in the studied microregion. Examinations with complete dose information and demographic data, obtained from two CT scanners, were included. The analyzed variables comprised sex, age, examination frequency, and dose-length product (DLP) values. Individual effective dose was estimated from DLP using conversion factors recommended in the international literature, and accumulated effective dose was calculated by summing individual doses per patient.
Results: A progressive increase in the number of examinations was observed up to 2021, followed by a reduction in 2022. Most examinations were performed in patients over 50 years of age, with a predominance of females. Approximately 17.4% of patients underwent repeated chest CT examinations, demonstrating an increase in accumulated effective dose proportional to the number of scans performed. Patients with multiple repeated examinations over the study period presented higher exposure to ionizing radiation.
Conclusion: The findings highlight the impact of repeated chest CT examinations on increasing accumulated effective dose in patients, reinforcing the need for longitudinal monitoring of medical radiation exposure. This study contributes to the national context by providing regional data on cumulative dose, supporting protocol optimization, clinical justification, and the strengthening of radiological protection practices.