Avaliação da dose e da qualidade da imagem em tomografia computorizada no Hospital Central de Maputo

Abstract

Computed tomography plays a fundamental role in contemporary medical practice, enabling the acquisition of detailed images of the human body for the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. However, the use of this method also raises concerns regarding radiation exposure and image quality. At the Central Hospital of Maputo, as well as in many healthcare institutions worldwide, the assessment of radiation dose and image quality in computed tomography examinations is of utmost importance. This research aimed to evaluate the radiation dose applied in computed tomography examinations at the Radiology Service of the Central Hospital of Maputo, as well as the quality of the resulting images, determining the extent to which these images exhibit acceptable diagnostic quality with the minimum possible dose administered to patients. The assessment of radiation dose and analysis of image quality in computed tomography examinations at the Radiology Service of the Central Hospital of Maputo were conducted following a method based on recommendations from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The results of the radiation dose obtained in the research, with an electric charge of 400 mAs and electric tension of 120 kV p , were as follows: 56±0.07 mGy for the computed tomography weighted dose index (compared to the European reference level); 53.6±0.004 mGy for the volumetric dose index (compared to the volumetric dose index displayed on the operator console screen); 134.9±0.003 mGy∙cm for the dose-length product (compared to the dose-length product displayed on the operator console screen); and 0.3 mSv for the effective dose compared to the standards provided by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. The results revealed that the radiation dose applied in computed tomography examinations and the quality of the images produced in this healthcare unit comply with international safety standards, aligning with the Radiological Protection Regulation (Decree No. 49/2018 of August 21, 2018)