ASSESSMENT OF RADIATION DOSE OPTIMISATION TECHNIQUES IN PEDIATRICCOMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY AT SOKOTO STATE ADVANCED MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC CENTRE

Abstract

Computed tomography (CT) plays a crucial role in pediatric imaging due to its diagnostic accuracy and rapid image acquisition. However, children are more sensitive to ionizing radiation and have a longer life expectancy which increases their risk of radiation induced malignancies. Therefore, it is important to implement radiation dose optimization techniques in pediatric computed tomography (CT) imaging. AIM This study assessed the radiation dose optimisation techniques in pediatric computed tomography (CT) at Sokoto State Advanced Medical Diagnostic Centre (SSAMDC), Sokoto. METHODS A prospective study design was employed, involving 75 pediatric patients who underwent computed tomography (CT) examinationsat Sokoto State Advanced Medical Diagnostic Centre (SSAMDC) between June to September, 2025. Data were collected using a data capture sheet and analyzed using SPSS version 28.0 with descriptive statistics. RESULTS The results showed that computed tomography (CT) utilization was highest among children aged 6–10 years (42.7%), followed by those aged 11–15 years (29.3%), with a slight male predominance (53.3% males). Brain CT was the most frequently performed examination (65.3%), followed by abdominal CT (24.0%) and chest CT (10.7%). Notably, 33.3% of pediatric CT examinations were conducted without any dose reduction technique. Among the implemented methods, Automatic Exposure Control (AEC) was the most common (17.3%), followed by low kVp/mAs (13.3%) and size-specific protocols (12.0%). Techniques such as organ-based modulation, shielding, and limited scan length were rarely utilized.