Size-Specific Dose Estimates of Radiation Based on Body Weight and Body Mass Index for Chest and Abdomen-Pelvic CTs.

Background: To correlate body weight, body mass index (BMI), and water-equivalent diameter ( ) and to assess size-specific dose estimates (SSDEs) based on body weight and BMI for chest and abdomen-pelvic CT examinations.

Methods: An in-house program was used to calculate , size-dependent conversion factor (), and SSDE for 1178 consecutive patients undergoing chest and abdomen-pelvic CT examinations. Associations among body weight, BMI, and were determined, and linear equations were generated using linear regression analysis of the first 50% of the patient population.