COMPARISON OF LOW KVP SIZE BASED LOW DOSE CT PROTOCOL AND LOW KVP AUTOMATED EXPOSURE CONTROLLED BASED LOW DOSE CT PROTOCOL, FOR EVALUATION OF CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE IN PAEDIATRIC POPULATION IN A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL OF WESTERN RAJASTHAN.

Abstract

ntroduction: Evaluation for CHD lead to inadvertent radiation exposure to children. With objective of minimising radiation exposure, we developed a size based (SB) novel low kVp low dose CT protocol for pediatrics population. All CT chest examinationsMaterial and methods: performed on PHILIPS Ingenuity core 64-slice multi detector CT machine. A total of sixty children with suspected/diagnosed CHD were randomized to either novel SB protocol or machine's default AEC based low dose pediatric chest CT protocol . Our protocol consisted of keeping tube voltage 80 kVp in all patients and tube current (mA) being modulated according to size of subjects (chest circumference). All CT dose parameters (ED, CTDI vol, DLP and mA) were recorded for comparison. Image quality of the two methods compared by two radiologists blinded to the method. After analysing and comparing with other studies for all the CT dose variables we concluded that all CT radiation exposureResults: values as measured by ED, CTDI vol, SSDE, DLP were lower in SB protocol as comparison to default AEC based protocol in those corresponding to <12 months age group. In 1-5 year- ED, SSDE, CTDI vol and DLP was equivalent in both size based and AEC based low dose protocols. In 6-18 year ED, SSDE, CTDI vol and DLP was slightly higher in size based low dose protocol. In younger age group ( <12 months of age) SBConclusion: protocol should be preferred as compared to default machine protocol. In children with >1 years of age , low dose AEC protocol is better from perspective of radiation exposure.