Assessment of diagnostic reference levels awareness and knowledge amongst CT radiographers

Abstract

Background Reports indicated that numerous factors, including inadequate personnel knowledge, contributes to insufficient patient data for setting up diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) in developing countries. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge of DRLs as an optimisation tool amongst computed tomography (CT) radiographers in northern Nigeria. This is a quantitative cross-sectional study. A structured questionnaire was devised and distributed on site to sixty-two CT radiographers in northern Nigeria. A total of fifteen questions were included in the questionnaire focusing on DRLs, dose optimisation and dose descriptors generating quantitative data concerning overall CT radiographers’ perceived knowledge and awareness about DRLs. Results A response rate of 77.4% (48/62) was achieved. About 83.3% of the participants declare DRLs awareness, and 37.5% carried out a local dose survey. The percentage correctly perceived knowledge of concepts; DRLs was 45.8%, dose optimisation (42%) and CT dose descriptor (39%). Radiographers with work experience ranging from 4-10 years had the highest score. Conclusion In this survey, deficiencies were noted in radiographers’ knowledge about DRLs with precise knowledge gap in the implementation of local dose survey for DRLs and optimisation. There is a need for continuous radiographers’ training with greater emphasis on dose optimisation and institutional based dose evaluation.

How well Nigerian radiographers adhere to pediatrics-specific protocols during computed tomography procedures

“…Radiographers' training curricula, practice standards, and oversight functions are centrally handled by a single regulatory agency, the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN). Therefore, optimization practice in one region is not expected to be significantly different from the other [9]. Our findings, however, proved otherwise.…”

“…Pediatric patients are worse off due to relatively smaller body surface area, greater tissue radiosensitivity, and higher lifetime attributable cancer risks [3,4]. Evidence of increased risk of malignancy amongst children subjected to CT examinations, and increasing demand for CT investigations is of serious concern to the scientific community [4,9,10]. Head requisitions are the most common due to trauma or space-occupying lesions [11,12].…”

“…Therefore, dose monitoring and reporting have been recommended as an additional layer of safeguard [14]. Whereas most developed countries have strong traditions in patient dosimetry, radiation protection and wellestablished medical physics support to radiology departments [11], this is not the case in many countries in Africa [9]. In Nigeria, whereas there are several surveys on adult head CT dose, pediatrics are often bypassed due primarily to paucity of data and perhaps, priority issues.…”

“…In addition, CT protocols in some facilities were those set by vendors during installation. There was little or no attempt to adjust them by radiographers as long as images were of high diagnostic quality [9]. The increasing installations, fixed protocols, and challenges with dosimetry, medical physicists, legislation and weak regulatory oversight raises concern about safety This work was undertaken to put the vulnerable pediatric population in the CT community's consciousness and enhance their radiation protection.…”

A dual-modality quantification of scattered radiation from head to female breasts during radiological investigations in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria

“…Despite these strategies, medical imaging continues to witness scatters in daily practice [6], due to increasing demand for investigations involving ionizing radiation-producing modalities [8]. Head x-ray [1] and head CT investigations are anatomical regions with a high throughput in medical imaging.…”