BACKGROUND: Little is known about exposure differences among hospitals. Large differences might identify outliers using excessive exposure. OBJECTIVE: We used the newly described exposure index and deviation index to compare the difference in existing radiographic exposures for neonatal portable chest radiographs among four academic children's hospitals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For each hospital we determined the mean exposure index. We also set target exposure indices and then measured the deviation from this target. RESULTS: There was not a large difference in exposure index among sites. No site had an exposure index mean that was more than twice or less than half that of any other site. For all four sites combined, 92% of exposures had a deviation index within the range from -3 to +3. Thus exposures at each hospital were consistently within a reasonable narrow spectrum. CONCLUSION: Mean exposure index differences are caused by operational differences with mean values that varied by less than 50% among four hospitals. Ninety-two percent of all exposures were between half and double the target exposure. Although only one vendor's equipment was used, these data establish a practical reference range of exposures for neonatal portable radiographs that can be recommended to other hospitals for neonatal chest radiographs.
BACKGROUND: Little is known about exposure differences among hospitals. Large differences might identify outliers using excessive exposure. OBJECTIVE: We used the newly described exposure index and deviation index to compare the difference in existing radiographic exposures for neonatal portable chest radiographs among four academic children's hospitals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For each hospital we determined the mean exposure index. We also set target exposure indices and then measured the deviation from this target. RESULTS: There was not a large difference in exposure index among sites. No site had an exposure index mean that was more than twice or less than half that of any other site. For all four sites combined, 92% of exposures had a deviation index within the range from -3 to +3. Thus exposures at each hospital were consistently within a reasonable narrow spectrum. CONCLUSION: Mean exposure index differences are caused by operational differences with mean values that varied by less than 50% among four hospitals. Ninety-two percent of all exposures were between half and double the target exposure. Although only one vendor's equipment was used, these data establish a practical reference range of exposures for neonatal portable radiographs that can be recommended to other hospitals for neonatal chest radiographs.
Authors: Eliseo Vaño; José Miguel Fernández; José Ignacio Ten; Carlos Prieto; Luciano González; Ricardo Rodríguez; Hugo de las Heras Journal: Radiology Date: 2007-03-13 Impact factor: 11.105
Authors: Marilyn J Goske; Kimberly E Applegate; Jennifer Boylan; Priscilla F Butler; Michael J Callahan; Brian D Coley; Shawn Farley; Donald P Frush; Marta Hernanz-Schulman; Diego Jaramillo; Neil D Johnson; Sue C Kaste; Greg Morrison; Keith J Strauss; Nora Tuggle Journal: AJR Am J Roentgenol Date: 2008-02 Impact factor: 3.959
Authors: S Jeff Shepard; Jihong Wang; Michael Flynn; Eric Gingold; Lee Goldman; Kerry Krugh; David L Leong; Eugene Mah; Kent Ogden; Donald Peck; Ehsan Samei; Jihong Wang; Charles E Willis Journal: Med Phys Date: 2009-07 Impact factor: 4.071
Authors: Adrian A Sánchez; Ingrid Reiser; Tina Baxter; Yue Zhang; Joshua H Finkle; Zheng Feng Lu; Kate A Feinstein Journal: Pediatr Radiol Date: 2017-11-12