OPTIMIZATION OF LUNG CT PROTOCOL FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF COVID-19 LUNG DISEASE. Issue 1 (23rd September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hosseini Nasab, Seyed Mohammad Bagher; Deevband, Mohammad Reza; Rahimi, Roghaye; Nasiri, Saeed; Ahangaran, Mohammad Reza; Morshedi, Mina
• Is Part Of: Radiation protection dosimetry. Volume 196:Issue 1/2(2021)
• Page Start: 120
• Page End: 127
• Publication Date: 2021-09-23
• Subjects: Radiation dosimetry -- Periodicals; Radiation -- Safety measures -- Periodicals; 363.1799
• DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncab140
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0144-8420

Abstract

Abstract: This study intends to evaluate the different lung CT scan protocols used for the diagnostic evaluation of COVID-19-induced lung disease in Iranian imaging centers in terms of radiation dose and image quality. After data collecting, subjective image quality, radiation dose and objective image quality such as noise, SNR and CNR were assessed. Statistically significant differences in effective dose and image quality were evident among different lung CT protocols. Lowest and highest effective dose was1.31 ± 0.53 mSv related to a protocol with activated AEC (reference mAs = 20) and 6.15 ± 0.57 mSv related to a protocol with Fixed mAs (mAs = 100), respectively. A protocol with enabled tube current modulation with 70 mAs as a reference mAs, and protocol with 20 mAs and enabled AEC had the best and lowest image quality, respectively. To optimize the scan parameters, AEC must be used, and a range of tube currents (between 20 and 50 mAs) can produce acceptable images in terms of diagnostic quality and radiation dose for the diagnosis of COVID-19-induced lung disease.