Variation of patient dose in head CT.

CT dose varies with both equipment related and operator dependent factors. Thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD) was employed in two phantoms to investigate the variation in absorbed dose for head CT scans, using a cylindrical head CT dose phantom. Dose profiles were plotted and the computed tomography dose index (CTDI) calculated for a single 10 mm thick slice on 14 CT scanners. An anthropomorphic head phantom was also scanned from the base-of-skull to the vertex using 10/10 mm slices. The absorbed dose measured at the centre of the scan series is reported (Dmid). The mean CTDIw for the 14 scanners was 60.0 mGy, while the mean Dmid was 45.8 mGy. Dmid better represents the absorbed dose in human tissues. The CTDIw and Dmid normalized to mAs varied by up to a factor of 2.2 for the different scanners. Equipment related factors contribute to such variations. However, variations due to operator dependent factors such as the choice of exposure factors, scanning protocol and positioning technique must also be considered. When such factors are taken into account the absorbed dose received by the patient can vary considerably, by as much as 16.2 for lens dose. Increased awareness of the factors influencing CT dose and the standardization of scanning protocols is recommended.