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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian J Radiol Imaging 2026; 36(01): 040-047
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1806868
Original Article

Establishing Diagnostic Reference Level for Adult Abdomen and Pelvis CT Scans: A Benchmarking Study across BMI Groups

Autor*innen

  • Jaseemudheen M. M. 

    1   Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Nitte (Deemed to be university), K.S. Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore, Karnataka, India

  • Raghuraja U. 

    1   Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Nitte (Deemed to be university), K.S. Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore, Karnataka, India

  • Sri Krishna U. 

    1   Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Nitte (Deemed to be university), K.S. Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore, Karnataka, India

  • Lathika Shetty 

    1   Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Nitte (Deemed to be university), K.S. Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore, Karnataka, India

  • Amita Dabholkar 

    2   Department of Radiology and Imaging Technology, Dr. D. Y. Patil School of Allied Health Sciences, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Sant Tukaram Nagar, Pimpri, Pune

  • Chandana Ramachandraiah 

    3   Department of MIT, A.J. Institute of Medical Sciences, Mangalore, Karnataka, India

Funding None.
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Abstract

Objective This study aims to establish local diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) abdomen and pelvis scans in adult patients within the Mangalore region, emphasizing variations in radiation dose metrics across body mass index (BMI) categories.

Materials and Methods A prospective multicenter study was conducted across five health care facilities and analyzed data from 500 patients (18–60 years) undergoing multiphase CECT abdomen and pelvis scans. CT dose descriptors, volumetric CT dose index (CTDIvol), and dose length product (DLP) were recorded separately for plain, arterial, and portovenous phases. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and correlation analyses assessed dose variations across BMI categories.

Results The 75th percentile CTDIvol and DLP values for the plain phase were 8.30 mGy and 460.50 mGy·cm, respectively. Significant variations in radiation dose indices were observed across BMI groups (p < 0.001). CTDIvol for the plain phase increased from 7.42 ± 1.41 mGy in underweight individuals to 8.41 ± 1.21 mGy in overweight individuals. Corresponding DLP values ranged from 400.00 to 450.55 mGy·cm.

Conclusion The study established DRLs at the 75th percentile, demonstrating lower radiation doses than national and international benchmarks. These results highlight the significance of optimizing doses according to BMI to improve patient safety and the quality of diagnoses.

Keywords

body mass index - diagnostic reference levels - dose descriptors - radiation dose optimization - multiphase CT

Data Availability Statement

The data sets used and/or analyzed during the current study are accessible from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.




Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
01. April 2025

© 2025. Indian Radiological Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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