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Radiation overexposure from repeated CT scans in young adults with acute abdominal pain

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess the dose of ionizing radiation caused by repeated CT scans performed to investigate non-traumatic acute abdominal conditions in young adults.

Methods

Over 26 months, we collected a cohort of patients aged 18 to 45 years who were subject to at least one urgent contrast-enhanced abdomen/pelvis CT. Patients affected with urolithiasis, HIV infection, tumors, and vascular and chronic inflammatory bowel diseases were excluded. All abdomen/pelvis CT scans carried out at our institution for over 6 years were retrospectively tallied, and the effective doses (EDs) were computed by multiplying the total dose-length product by the appropriate anatomic conversion factor. Examples of age- and gender-adjusted lifetime attributable cancer risks were estimated using the online calculator Radiation Risk Assessment Tool.

Results

Sixty-one patients (average age 34.2 years) received multiple CT scans (average 2.7 scans per patient). ED largely varied among single- and multi-phase acquisitions. Cumulative ED ranged from 14.1 mSv to a maximum of 436.6 mSv (average 70.1 mSv per person). Twenty-five patients (40.9%) received more than 50 mSv, 84% of them within year; 12 (19.7%) and 4 (6.6%) patients received more than 100 and 200 mSv, respectively.

Conclusion

Young adults are subject to repetitive CT imaging to monitor urogenital, intestinal, hepatobiliary, and pancreatic disorders during non-operative management to detect and follow up abdominal emergencies requiring surgical intervention and to assess post-surgical complications. In this population, the risk of accruing high cumulative radiation exposure should be considered.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, “Luigi Sacco” University Hospital, Via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157, Milan, Italy

    Massimo Tonolini, Elena Valconi & Roberto Bianco

  2. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Niguarda Ca’ Granda Hospital, Piazza Ospedale Maggiore 3, 20162, Milan, Italy

    Angelo Vanzulli

Authors
  1. Massimo Tonolini
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  2. Elena Valconi
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  3. Angelo Vanzulli
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  4. Roberto Bianco
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Correspondence to Massimo Tonolini.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Tonolini, M., Valconi, E., Vanzulli, A. et al. Radiation overexposure from repeated CT scans in young adults with acute abdominal pain. Emerg Radiol 25, 21–27 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10140-017-1554-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10140-017-1554-y

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