Contrast & Dosimetry Flashcards
How is CTDI calculated?
CTDIvol = CTDIw / Pitch
How is DLP calculated?
DLP=CTDIvol x Scan Length
Define absorbed dose
The amount of energy deposited by radiation in a mass
What unit is absorbed dose measured in?
mGy
Define equivalent dose
Dose calculated for individual organs based on absorbed dose to a single organ
What unit is equivalent dose measured in?
mSv
Define effective dose
Dose calculated for body adjusted to account for the sensitivity of organ to tissue weighting factors
What unit is effective dose measured in?
mSv
What is the Australian DRL for CT Brain?
880 DLP mGy
What is the Australian DRL for CT Neck?
450 DLP mGy
What is the Australian DRL for CT Chest?
390 DLP mGy
What is the Australian DRL for CT Abdomen?
600 DLP mGy
What is the effective dose for CT Brain?
2 mSv
What is the effective dose for CT Chest?
1-8 mSv
What is the effective dose for CT Abdomen?
10-14 mSv
Name 7 scanner design factors that influence patient dose
Beam filtration, beam shaper, beam collimation, detector array, data acquisition system, spiral interpolation, adaptive filtration
Name 8 clinical application factors that influence patient dose
kVp, mAs, tube current modulation, pitch, scan range, patient factors, image reconstruction, pathology
What is the threshold of an embryo or fetus to expect detrimental radiation effects
100 mSv
What scanning selection factor has the biggest influence on patient dose?
kVp
Does kVp affect contrast or brightness?
Contrast
Is the photoelectric effect likely to occur at higher or lower energies?
Higher
How does mA effect dose?
mA has a linear affect on radiation dose
How is effective mAs calculated?
Eff mAs = ratio of tube current to pitch
What is k-edge?
The energy required to eject a k shell electron
What is the k-edge of iodine?
32kEv
What is the approximate average energy of the beam?
1/3 kVp
What is a linear attenuation co-efficient?
A constant that describes the fraction of attenuated incident photons in a monoenergetic beam per unit thickness of a material which is used to calculate hounsfield units
Describe ionic contrast
Ionic contrast dissociates in water and has high osmolality. It dissociates into 2 molecular particles resulting in higher risk of reaction
What is the molecular structure of ionic contrast?
Monomer
Describe non-ionic contrast
Non-ionic contrast does not dissolve into charged particles when entering the bloodstream with less chance of reaction
Describe low osmolar contrast and its molecular structure
Low osmolar contrast is a monomer with increased solubility in water
Describe iso osmolar contrast and its molecular structure
Iso osmolar contrast is a dimer that does not dissociate in water