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Clinical indications and radiation doses to the conceptus associated with CT imaging in pregnancy: a retrospective study

  • Computed Tomography
  • Published:
European Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To perform an internal audit at a university hospital with the aim of evaluating the number, clinical indication and operating procedure of computed tomography (CT) performed on pregnant patients and of estimating the radiation doses to the conceptus.

Methods

A retrospective review was conducted of all CT examinations performed in a single centre on pregnant patients between January 2008 and July 2013. The radiation doses to the conceptus were estimated. The results were compared with published data.

Results

The number of CT examinations during pregnancy increased from 3–4 per year in 2008–2011 to 11 per year in 2012. The mean estimated conceptus radiation dose was considered negligible for CT of the head and cervical spine, being less than 0.01 mGy, and for CT of the chest, less than 0.1 mGy. The estimated conceptus radiation dose from abdominopelvic CT was on average 28.7 mGy (range 6.7–60.5 mGy).

Conclusions

The number of CT scans of pregnant patients increased threefold during the last few years. Most clinical indications and doses were in line with good clinical practice and literature; only in two cases the dose to the conceptus was higher than 50 mGy.

Key points

• An increase in CT imaging of pregnant patients is of concern.

• Clinical indications were in line with good practice.

• Estimated conceptus doses were lower or similar to published data.

• Internal guidelines for appropriate use of imaging during pregnancy should be established.

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Acknowledgments

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Prof. F. Zanca. The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article. The authors state that this work has not received any funding. No complex statistical methods were necessary for this paper. Institutional review board approval was not required because the study did not fall under the category of medical experiments and there was no loss of integrity of human subjects. Written informed consent was not required for this study because all patient identifying information was removed from the study data. Methodology: retrospective, performed at one institution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    S. Woussen, D. Vanbeckevoort, H. Bosmans & R. Oyen

  2. Department of Imaging and Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    X. Lopez-Rendon & F. Zanca

Authors
  1. S. Woussen
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  2. X. Lopez-Rendon
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  3. D. Vanbeckevoort
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  4. H. Bosmans
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  5. R. Oyen
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  6. F. Zanca
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to F. Zanca.

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Woussen, S., Lopez-Rendon, X., Vanbeckevoort, D. et al. Clinical indications and radiation doses to the conceptus associated with CT imaging in pregnancy: a retrospective study. Eur Radiol 26, 979–985 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-015-3924-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-015-3924-8

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