Abstract:
The incidence of cancer in both developed and developing nations has emerged as a significant concern within the scientific and medical community. Consequently, it is crucial to mitigate the risk of cancer induction during medical X-ray exposure. Constant evaluation of radiological procedures is essential to ensure that radiation dose to patients remain as low as reasonably achievable. This study aims to assess patient radiation doses during X-ray diagnostic procedures at selected centers in North Central Nigeria, including General Hospital Minna (GHM), General Hospital Ilorin (GHI), and General Hospital Kubwa, FCT (GHK), with a total of 552 patients.
The study measured the focus-to-skin distance (FSD), tube potential (kVp), and tube loading (mAs) using the X-ray machine to calculate the entrance surface dose (ESD), effective dose, absorbed organ dose, and cancer risk index using the Caldose_X 5.0 software. Additionally, the ESD was also computed using mathematical formulas for comparison purposes. Patient data, including sex, age, and body mass index (BMI), were recorded.
The results were compared with the guidelines from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other previous studies. The ESD values ranged from 7.10 mGy to 1.00 mGy for GHI and GHM, respectively, using the Caldose_X software, and 6.76 mGy to 0.56 mGy for GHK and GHM, respectively, using mathematical estimation. The effective doses for GHI, GHK, and GHM were in the range of 0.28-0.66 mSv, 0.1-0.59 mSv, and 0.06-0.37 mSv, respectively. The absorbed organ doses for the pelvis and breast had the highest and lowest values, with 2.82 mGy and 0.004 mGy for GHI and GHM, respectively. The low dose obtained at GHM can be attributed to good radiological practices.
When compared with the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) guidelines, the absorbed organ doses were all within the risk estimates of 35 cancer cases per million cases. The effective dose and ESD results indicate that, with a few exceptions, patients in selected Nigerian hospitals had doses within established diagnostic reference levels. To ensure radiation risks and patient dose variations remain within recommended limits, emphasis should be placed on quality assurance.
Estimating Patient Radiation Doses for Specific X-ray Examinations and Centers in North-Central Nigeria.  GET MORE, ACTUARIAL SCIENCE PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS
