Radiation protection for people in proximity to portable computed tomography scanners in intensive care units

The use of portable computed tomography (PCT) in intensive care units (ICU) allows critically ill patients to undergo brain computed tomography examinations without the need for invasive intrahospital transportations. The aim of this study was to determine the radiation doses around a PCT unit to establish routines for radiation protection. Scattered radiation was measured around a Siemens Somatom On.site PCT system during scans of anthropomorphic and computed tomography dose index (CTDI) phantoms. The ambient dose equivalents in the ICU were estimated by summing the dose contributions from all computed tomography scan locations. Results suggest that ~15 scans per week can be performed in an ICU with six to eight patient beds without exceeding the annual effective dose of 0.1 mSv to members of the public, while also maintaining personnel exposure below 1 mSv. These findings support the feasibility of integrating PCT use into the ICU workflow as a safer alternative to intrahospital transport for neuroimaging.