Use Of Reject-repeat Analysis In Patient Radiation Dose Optimisation In Diagnostic Radiology
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: In conventional radiography units, rejected x-ray films often ended up being repeated, thus adding further radiation dose to patients. Reject-repeat analysis has been shown to be one of the techniques used in optimization of patient dose in radiography.
Objective: To audit x-ray film reject-repeat in the department of Radiology, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Nigeria, in order to establish a base line with which subsequent patient radiation dose optimization programme could be based.
Methods: The study used records on the number of radiographic examinations performed and the number of repeated films in the department of Radiology, AKTH, between January to August, 2007. Reasons for reject/repeat were classified into four groups: Exposure problems, Film handling problems, Patient's fault and problems due to positioning.
Results: A total of 8140 x-ray examinations were performed within the study period and the repeat rate was 7.1%. The major reason for repeat was related to poor patient positioning which accounted for 70% of the total repeats. Improper film handling, exposure problems and patient's fault recorded 23%, 6.1% and 1.4% respectively.
Conclusion: To optimize patient dose in radiography, there is a need for further research to find out the actual cause of poor positioning problems from the side of radiographers. There is also a need for conversion from the conventional wet processing to computed radiography/day light processing of x-ray films in our radiography units.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.
How to Cite
References
1. International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Annals of the ICRP 1977: 1(3), ICRP Publication 26.
2 Moores BM. Radiation dose measurement and optimization. Br J Radiol 2005; 78: 866 868.
3. George J. Eatough JP, Mountford PJ, et al. Patient dose optimization in plain radiography based on standard exposure factors. Br J Radiol 2004; 77:858 863.
4 Geist JR, Katz JO. Radiation dose-reduction techniques in North American dental schools. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2002;93(4):496 505.
5. Peer 5, Peer R, Giacomuzzi SM, Jaschke W. Comparative reject analysis in conventional film-screen and digital storage phosphor radiography. Radiat Prot Dosometry 2001; 94(1-2):69 71.
6. Bassey CE, Ojo OO, Akpabio 1. Repeat profile analysis in an x-ray department. J Radiol Prot 1991;11:179 183.
7. Lewentat G, Bohndorf K. Analysis of reject x-ray films as a quality assurance element in diagnostic radiology. Rofo 1997; 166(5): 376 381.
8. Tabari AM. Low cost printing of computerized tomography (CT) images where there is no dedicated CT camera. J Telemed and Telecare 2007; 13:274 276.
9. Gadeholt G, Geitung JT, Gothlin JH, Asp T. Continuing reject-repeat analysis program. Eur J Radiol 1989;9(3):137 141.
10. Nixon PP, Thorogood J, Holloway J. Smith NJ. An audit of film reject rates in a department of dental radiology. Br J Radiol 1995; 68(816): 1304 1307.
11. Weatherburn GC, Bryan 5, West M. A comparison of image reject rates when using film, hard copy computed radiography and soft copy images on picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) workstations. Br J Radiol 1999, 72(859): 653 660.
12. The World Health Organization (WHO). Use and specifications of the WHO basic radiology system (BRS) and the world health imaging system (WHIS-RAD). WHO collaborating centre for radiological education, Lund, Sweden 1997(Annex 8). Accessed online at www.worldhealthimagind.org on 11 November, 2007.
13. United Nations Scientific Committee on the effect of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). Sources, effects and risks of ionizing radiation, UNSCEAR 2000 Report, Vol. II. New York, NY: United Nations 2000.
14. Peer S, Peer R, Walcher M, Pohl M, Jacschke W. Comparative reject analysis in conventional film-screen and digital storage phosphor radiography. Eur Radiol 1999; 9(8): 1693 1696.10