A study of entrance surface dose and radiation dose from digital chest x-ray, Saraburi Hospital

Abstract

Despite the relatively low exposure of patients to chest radiography, cumulative radiation doses directly affect bodily changes. In the Radiology Unit of Saraburi Hospital, there has been no previous assessment of the entrance surface dose (ESD) from radiography. This study aims to optimize patient care by raising staff awareness of proper radiation usage and reducing radiation risk in clinical diagnosis through an examination of ESD, exposure index (EI), and their association with various parameters of chest radiography. Data collected from chest radiography include sex, age, and chest thickness. Analysis was conducted on the ESD and EI of 200 patients who received services in X-ray Room 1 on business days from March 1 to June 30, 2024. The results indicate that the ESD of PA upright chest X-ray examinations meets standard criteria, with an average of 0.10 mGy (S.D. = 0.04) and a third quartile of 0.22 mGy. Most radiographs (99%) fall within an EI range of 200 < EI < 400, demonstrating an acceptable patient dose. The primary parameters correlated with and regressed on ESD are mAs (milliampere-seconds), chest thickness, and body weight (r = 0.965, 0.847, and 0.799 respectively, p-value < 0.001). ESD increases when mAs, chest thickness, and body weight also increase. The following prediction equation was derived: Y’ = -0.029 + 0.045x + 0.002t.