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N Buls

Publications and source records attributed to N Buls.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The use of extremity dosemeters in a hospital environment.

A general overview is given on the use of extremity dosemeters, their calibration, the units and phantoms to be used. One of the major applications of extremity dosemeters is to monitor the personnel in a hospital environment. In nuclear medicine, brachytherapy and interventional radiology (IR) skin doses to hands and legs can be substantial. Here, we report on two studies that are presently being undertaken in Belgium. The first one tries to map the dose distribution on the hands, in function of the manipulation in nuclear medicine. Some preliminary results are also given from a nationwide survey study for patient and personnel doses during IR and cardiology. The radiologists' hands, legs and forehead are monitored during a whole range of procedures in different hospitals.

Belgium↗
PubMed2003

CT doses in children: a multicentre study.

We evaluated examination protocols used for common CT procedures of paediatric patients at different hospitals in Belgium in order to determine whether adjustments related to patient size are made in scanning parameters, and to compare patient doses with proposed reference levels. Three paediatric hospitals and one non-paediatric hospital participated in the study. Weighted CT dose-index (CTDI(w)), dose-length product (DLP) and effective dose (E) were evaluated for three patient ages (1 year, 5 years and 10 years) and three common procedures (brain, thorax and abdomen). CTDI(w) and DLP values higher than the reference levels were found for all types of evaluated examination. E ranged from 0.4 mSv to 2.3 mSv, 1.1 mSv to 6.6 mSv, and 2.3 mSv to 19.9 mSv for brain, thorax and abdomen examinations, respectively. All centres but one adapted their protocols as a function of patient size. However, no common trend in the selection of protocols was observed. Some centres divided the whole range of patient size into only two/three groups by age, while others classified the patients into six groups by weight. It was also observed that some centres used the same mAs for the total range of patient sizes and decreased the pitch factor for small children, which resulted in higher doses. This indicates the importance of careful selection of technical scan parameters. If CT parameters used for paediatric patients are not adjusted on the basis of examination type, age and/or size of the child, then some patients will be exposed to an unnecessarily high radiation dose during CT examinations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Patient and staff exposure during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.

Despite a number of efforts being put into the radiological protection of both patient and staff during interventional radiological (IR) procedures during recent years, information about radiation exposure during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures remains scarce. The purpose of this study was to estimate both patient and staff radiation doses during therapeutic ERCP procedures by direct measurement and to compare these results with data from other IR procedures. For 54 patients, effective dose and skin dose were estimated by measuring the dose-area product. For staff, entrance surface doses to the lens of the eye, thyroid and hands were estimated by thermoluminescent dosemeters. A median effective dose of 7.3 mSv and a median entrance surface dose of 271 mGy per procedure were estimated for patients. The gastroenterologist received a median dose of 0.34 mGy to the lens of the eye, 0.30 mGy to the skin at the level of the thyroid and 0.44 mGy to the skin of the hands, per procedure. When comparing the dosimetric quantities presented in this study with data from other IR procedures, it is clear that patient skin doses and doses to staff are high owing to the use of inappropriate X-ray equipment. ERCP requires the same radiation protection practice as all IR procedures. It should be consistently included in future multicentre IR patient and staff dose survey studies at national or international level.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Health screening with CT: prospective assessment of radiation dose and associated detriment.

The use of computed tomography (CT) for screening of targeted diseases is gaining much interest in the international medical community. An important aspect in the justification of screening with such a high dose examination is the radiation dose to the patient. The objective of this study was to perform a prospective assessment of the radiation dose and associated risk for deleterious effects from a CT screening programme. The excess lifetime risk of fatal cancer for various screening strategies was quantified by estimating the effective dose and by using age dependent mortality risk factors. The accrued data shows that the excess mortality risk due to screening with CT could be substantial. It ranges from 0.01% up to a few percent, strongly depending on the type and method of screening. Consequently, radiation dose and associate risk should be included as fundamental parameters for outlining and deciding a screening approach with CT. Recent technical developments, such as tube current modulation, are promising tools for dose reduction within the constraint of desired image quality.

Abdomen↗