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Scatter radiation from chest radiographs: is there a risk to infants in a typical NICU?

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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the dose of scatter radiation to infants in a NICU in order to determine the minimal safe distance between isolettes.

Materials and methods

Dose secondary to scattered radiation from an acrylic phantom exposed to vertical and horizontal beam exposures at 56 kVp was measured at 93 cm and 125 cm from the center of the phantom. This corresponds to 2 and 3 ft between standard isolettes, respectively. For horizontal exposures, the dosimeter was placed directly behind a CR plate and scatter dose at 90-degrees and 135-degrees from the incident beam was also measured. Exposures were obtained at 160 mAs and the results were extrapolated to correspond to 2.5 mAs. Four measurements were taken at each point and averaged.

Results

At 125 cm and 93 cm there was minimal scatter compared to daily natural background radiation dose (8.493 μGy). Greatest scatter dose obtained from a horizontal beam exposure at 135° from the incident beam was still far below background radiation.

Conclusion

Scatter radiation dose from a single exposure as well as cumulative scatter dose from numerous exposures is significantly below natural background radiation. Infants in neighboring isolettes are not at added risk from radiation scatter as long as the isolettes are separated by at least 2 ft.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Medicine, Albert Einstein/Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA

    Angela M. Trinh

  2. Department of Radiology, Montefiore Medical Center, 111 E. 210th St., Bronx, NY, 10467, USA

    Alan H. Schoenfeld & Terry L. Levin

Authors
  1. Angela M. Trinh
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  2. Alan H. Schoenfeld
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  3. Terry L. Levin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Terry L. Levin.

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Trinh, A.M., Schoenfeld, A.H. & Levin, T.L. Scatter radiation from chest radiographs: is there a risk to infants in a typical NICU?. Pediatr Radiol 40, 704–707 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-009-1474-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-009-1474-4

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