The comparison of Size-Specific Dose Estimate (SSDE) in chest CT examination calculated based on volumetric CT Dose Index (CTDIvol) reference phantom and Dose Length Product (DLP)

Abstract

The radiation dose of X-ray radiation exposure that comes from a CT scan is not easy to determine, because a CT scan uses several beams of X-ray radiation for one scan. In addition, the X-ray exposure dose on the CT scan is not the sum of the X-ray radiation exposure doses from each beam. Therefore, the Size-SpecificDoseEstimate (SSDE) parameter is used, which means as the estimated radiation exposure dose received by the patient. The SSDE value is a function of the CTDIvol which is determined from the reference phantom or from the derived Dose Length Product (DLP) values. The CTDIvol value determined from the reference phantom has the same value for the weight interval of the patient, so that the patient gets the same dose of X-ray exposure even though the body size is different. The CTDIvol value determined by Dose Length Product (DLP) depends on the lateral length of the patient's body. Because the lateral body length of each patient is different, the CTDIvol value will be different, so the SSDE value will vary more. The results showed different SSDE values for each patient according to body mass index.