Abstract
Total radiation exposure of newborns in intensive care has not been directly evaluated previously. Reusable calcium and lithium fluoride crystals with a sensitivity of one mRem and an accuracy of ±10% were used for direct measurement of the radiation exposure of 133 consecutive infants. Two calibrated crystals were placed in the x-ray field during all radiographic procedures. Technical data including number and type of radiographs were recorded and subsequently correlated with exposure measurements. The average technique was 60 and 65 KVP at 1 MAS for chest and abdominal films, respectively. Chest radiographs gave an average skin exposure of 7.3 mRem (range 2.0-15 mRem); the maximum abdominal exposure was 16 mRem per examination. During these patients' intensive care stay, 14% received a total skin exposure of >100 mRem. The highest recorded was 286 mRem in a child who underwent cardiac catheterization. Precise body measurements of each patient permitted a calculation of potential gonadal exposure due to abdominal radiographs. The average per film was 4.4 mRem for male and 2.2 mRem for female infants. If gonad shields had not been used, 29% of the babies would have received >15 mRem and 56% >10 mRem total gonadal exposure. Infants adjacent to babies being radiographed received negligible scatter radiation. This study describes a novel technique for newborns which permits sensitive monitoring of accumulative radiation exposure and may be useful in establishing radiation limits for infants.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Smith, W., Gresham, E., Berg, R. et al. 386 EVALUATION OF TOTAL RADIATION EXPOSURE IN NEWBORN INTENSIVE CARE. Pediatr Res 12 (Suppl 4), 428 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00391
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00391