Optimization of Conventional Radiology Doses During Adults Chests Examinations

The aim of this work is the implementation of an optimization process for the doses delivered to patients during frontal chest exams. The study was conducted at the clinic call Polyclinic of Deux Plateaux and involved 300 patients for the chest exam. For each patient exposed to X-ray, we recorded the exposure parameters (kV, mAs, focus-film distance), when the radiological images were acceptable for diagnosis. Then, the entrance dose (De) for each patient and the Dose-Area Product (DAP) using a formula has been calculated. The optimization processes involved modifying the exposure parameters (kV and mAs) while ensuring an acceptable image quality for diagnosis and a second dosimetric evaluation was done in the same manner as before. The median of the distribution of De and the DAP are respectively 0.60 mGy and 613.80 mGy.cm<sup>2</sup> with 112.12 kV and 6 mAs. After optimization, the results were 0.28 mGy and 286.31 mGy.cm<sup>2</sup> with 115 kV and 3.19 mAs. We observe that the medians of De and DAP have been approximately halved. This study has enabled a significant reduction in doses for the frontal chest exam performed in adults simply by acting on exposure parameters. The quality of the radiological images was maintained at a level allowing the examination to be carried out and interpreted.