Assessment of Patient Radiation Dose from Brain CT Examinations at Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry

Abstract

Purposes: To evaluate the CTDIvol and DLP radiation dose indices from brain CT scans. And to compare institutional dose levels with Thailand’s national diagnostic reference levels (NDRLs).

Study design: Retrospective descriptive study.

Materials and Methods: Data were collected from the PACS system of Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry during 2022-2024 from 120 patients who underwent non-contrast brain CT examinations.

Main findings: The average CTDI_vol and DLP values were 57.76 mGy and 912.30 mGy·cm, respectively—both lower than Thailand’s NDRLs (62 mGy and 1208 mGy·cm). The dose deviation between machine readings and actual measurements was 6.83%, within acceptable standards.

Conclusion and recommendations: The radiation doses used for brain CT examinations at the institute are within safe and appropriate levels according to ALARA principles, helping to enhance safety in diagnostic radiation services for patients and personnel. Image quality assessment should be conducted to find the optimal balance between low radiation doses and appropriate image quality.