Local diagnostic reference levels for paediatric CT examinations at a large university hospital in Saudi Arabia

This study aimed to establish local diagnostic reference levels (LDRLs) for standard paediatric computed tomography (CT) examinations in a large teaching hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and to compare them with the literature. We analysed data from 1199 paediatric patients who underwent head, chest, and abdomen–pelvis CT examinations between 2021 and 2023. Dose data were extracted from digital imaging and communications in medicine using DoseWatch software. The patients were categorized into four age groups. LDRLs were determined as the 75th percentile of the volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose–length product (DLP) distribution from hospital data. The values for each age group were compared with the corresponding European and UK diagnostic reference levels (DRLs). For all age groups, CTDIvol DRL values for head, chest and abdomen–pelvis CT varied from 11.9 to 31.9, 0.88–2.8 mGy and 1.3–7.2 mGy, respectively. The DRL values (mGy.cm) ranged from 196.3 to 577.1, 25.6 to 111.8 and 106.8 to 347.0 for head, chest and abdomen–pelvis CT, respectively. The established CTDI LDRLs were comparable to the European DRLs for head CT examinations and to or lower than the European DRLs for body CT examinations. DLP LDRLs were higher than the European DRLs for head CT examinations and lower for body CT examinations. The results of this study are expected to aid dose optimization.