Occupational Dose in Pediatric Barium Meal Examinations

Abstract

Multipurpose fluoroscopy systems can be used as a remotely controlled system, or as a system for performing simple interventional procedures. Barium meal, or upper gastrointestinal studies, using fluoroscopy, is widely used for gastroesophageal reflux disease diagnostic in children and required professionals to stay inside the examination room for pediatric patient positioning and immobilization during the procedure. In such a situation the radiation exposure of professionals is an issue. The present study had as main goal to estimate the dose received by the professionals involved in pediatric upper gastrointestinal series. The polyethylene mannequin filled with water were used to simulate the patient’s body and another assistant. The equipment used to measure dose rate was a parallel plate ionization chamber calibrated with accuracy of 1.8%. The dose values in one examination are somewhat smaller but comparable with typical patient doses in chest radiography. The annual effective dose may exceed the limit in the case of hundreds of procedures. The contribution of the radiographic images may reach 30%.