Automated tube voltage selection in pediatric non-contrast chest CT.

BACKGROUND:Modern CT scanners provide automatic dose adjustment systems, which are promising options for reducing radiation dose in pediatric CT scans. Their impact on patient dose, however, has not been investigated sufficiently thus far. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate automated tube voltage selection (ATVS...

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Main Authors: Azadeh Hojreh, Peter Homolka, Jutta Gamper, Sylvia Unterhumer, Daniela Kienzl-Palma, Csilla Balassy, Thomas Wrba, Helmut Prosch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2018-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC6169939?pdf=render
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author Azadeh Hojreh
Peter Homolka
Jutta Gamper
Sylvia Unterhumer
Daniela Kienzl-Palma
Csilla Balassy
Thomas Wrba
Helmut Prosch
author_facet Azadeh Hojreh
Peter Homolka
Jutta Gamper
Sylvia Unterhumer
Daniela Kienzl-Palma
Csilla Balassy
Thomas Wrba
Helmut Prosch
author_sort Azadeh Hojreh
collection DOAJ
description BACKGROUND:Modern CT scanners provide automatic dose adjustment systems, which are promising options for reducing radiation dose in pediatric CT scans. Their impact on patient dose, however, has not been investigated sufficiently thus far. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate automated tube voltage selection (ATVS) in combination with automated tube current modulation (ATCM) in non-contrast pediatric chest CT, with regard to the diagnostic image quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS:There were 160 non-contrast pediatric chest CT scans (8.7±5.4 years) analyzed retrospectively without and with ATVS. Correlations of volume CT Dose Index (CTDIvol) and effective diameter, with and without ATVS, were compared using Fisher's z-transformation. Image quality was assessed by mean signal-difference-to-noise ratios (SDNR) in the aorta and in the left main bronchus using the independent samples t-test. Two pediatric radiologists and a general radiologist rated overall subjective Image quality. Readers' agreement was assessed using weighted kappa coefficients. A p value <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS:CTDIvol correlation with the effective diameter was r = 0.62 without and r = 0.80 with ATVS (CI: -0.04 to -0.60; p = 0.025). Mean SDNR was 10.88 without and 10.03 with ATVS (p = 0.0089). Readers' agreement improved with ATVS (weighted kappa between pediatric radiologists from 0.1 (0.03-0.16) to 0.27 (0.09-0.45) with ATVS; between general and each pediatric radiologist from 0.1 (0.06-0.14) to 0.12 (0.05-0.20), and from 0.22 (0.11-0.34) to 0.36 (0.24-0.49)). CONCLUSION:ATVS, combined with ATCM, results in a radiation dose reduction for pediatric non-contrast chest CT without a loss of diagnostic image quality and prevents errors in manual tube voltage setting, and thus protecting larger children against an unnecessarily high radiation exposure.
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spelling doaj.art-7679c84e096541128b6334c2d482ba3e2022-12-21T19:56:46ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032018-01-011310e020479410.1371/journal.pone.0204794Automated tube voltage selection in pediatric non-contrast chest CT.Azadeh HojrehPeter HomolkaJutta GamperSylvia UnterhumerDaniela Kienzl-PalmaCsilla BalassyThomas WrbaHelmut ProschBACKGROUND:Modern CT scanners provide automatic dose adjustment systems, which are promising options for reducing radiation dose in pediatric CT scans. Their impact on patient dose, however, has not been investigated sufficiently thus far. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate automated tube voltage selection (ATVS) in combination with automated tube current modulation (ATCM) in non-contrast pediatric chest CT, with regard to the diagnostic image quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS:There were 160 non-contrast pediatric chest CT scans (8.7±5.4 years) analyzed retrospectively without and with ATVS. Correlations of volume CT Dose Index (CTDIvol) and effective diameter, with and without ATVS, were compared using Fisher's z-transformation. Image quality was assessed by mean signal-difference-to-noise ratios (SDNR) in the aorta and in the left main bronchus using the independent samples t-test. Two pediatric radiologists and a general radiologist rated overall subjective Image quality. Readers' agreement was assessed using weighted kappa coefficients. A p value <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS:CTDIvol correlation with the effective diameter was r = 0.62 without and r = 0.80 with ATVS (CI: -0.04 to -0.60; p = 0.025). Mean SDNR was 10.88 without and 10.03 with ATVS (p = 0.0089). Readers' agreement improved with ATVS (weighted kappa between pediatric radiologists from 0.1 (0.03-0.16) to 0.27 (0.09-0.45) with ATVS; between general and each pediatric radiologist from 0.1 (0.06-0.14) to 0.12 (0.05-0.20), and from 0.22 (0.11-0.34) to 0.36 (0.24-0.49)). CONCLUSION:ATVS, combined with ATCM, results in a radiation dose reduction for pediatric non-contrast chest CT without a loss of diagnostic image quality and prevents errors in manual tube voltage setting, and thus protecting larger children against an unnecessarily high radiation exposure.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC6169939?pdf=render
spellingShingle Azadeh Hojreh
Peter Homolka
Jutta Gamper
Sylvia Unterhumer
Daniela Kienzl-Palma
Csilla Balassy
Thomas Wrba
Helmut Prosch
Automated tube voltage selection in pediatric non-contrast chest CT.
PLoS ONE
title Automated tube voltage selection in pediatric non-contrast chest CT.
title_full Automated tube voltage selection in pediatric non-contrast chest CT.
title_fullStr Automated tube voltage selection in pediatric non-contrast chest CT.
title_full_unstemmed Automated tube voltage selection in pediatric non-contrast chest CT.
title_short Automated tube voltage selection in pediatric non-contrast chest CT.
title_sort automated tube voltage selection in pediatric non contrast chest ct
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC6169939?pdf=render
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