Estimation of effective dose and risk of exposure-induced cancer death, and diagnostic reference level for CT scans in Tabriz, Iran.

This study aimed to estimate the effective dose and the risk of exposure-induced cancer death (REID), as well as to establish diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for common CT examinations conducted in Tabriz, Iran. The investigation included adult patients undergoing abdomen-pelvis, brain, neck, sinus, and chest CT scans. Patient data, exposure parameters, and radiation dose metrics, such as volume CT dose index (CTDI) and dose length product (DLP), were collected and analyzed. The results showed significant variations in radiation dose across different centers for the CT scans. The average effective doses for the different CT scans were 5.65, 1.08, 1.40, 0.46, and 3.68 mSv for abdomen-pelvis, brain, neck, sinus, and chest scans, respectively. The REID values ranged from 14 per million (for sinus scans) to 196 per million (for abdomen-pelvis scans). Additionally, the DRL values for CTDIvol were 11.03 (for abdomen-pelvis), 59.52 (for brain), 8.33 (for neck), 17.05 (for sinus), and 7.83 mGy (for chest). Our results showed that most of the investigated CT scans had lower effective doses compared to the literature and the REIDs were estimated to be low. Minimizing radiation risk can be achieved by reducing CT exams and keeping doses as low as reasonably achievable. The local DRLs from this study were comparable to previous reports and can serve as benchmarks for setting national and international DRLs, helping healthcare facilities optimize radiation practices and improve patient safety in diagnostic imaging.