Pediatric Dose Optimization
- In pediatric patients, the radiation dose tends to remain constant as it enters and exits the patient. Because of this, the absorbed dose for pediatric patients tends to be higher than that of older patients.
- It is important that the radiation dose for each pediatric patient is optimized so that the overall dose is minimized. Several steps that can be taken to reduce the overall dose include:
- Eliminating multiphase imaging
- Reducing kV and mA
- Ensuring clinical appropriateness
- The Image Gently campaign was created to increase the awareness of dose optimization for pediatric patients. The campaign places an emphasis on reducing technical factors, eliminating multiphase scanning, and imaging only the area of interest to reduce the radiation dose.
- The Image Wisely campaign was created to emphasize the importance of dose optimization for the adult population undergoing imaging.
- It is important that the radiation dose for each pediatric patient is optimized so that the overall dose is minimized. Several steps that can be taken to reduce the overall dose include: