Influence of the use of various imaging units and projections on the radiation dose received by children during chest digital radiography.

Objective To investigate the impact of the use of different imaging units and projections on radiation dose and image quality during chest digital radiography (DR) in 3- and 4-year-old children. Methods Two hundred forty 3- and 4-year-old participants requiring chest DR were included; they were divided into three groups: supine anterior-posterior projection (APP), standing APP and standing posterior-anterior projection (PAP). Each group included 40 participants who were evaluated using the same imaging unit. The dose area product (DAP) and the entrance surface dose (ESD) were recorded after each exposure. The visual grading analysis score (VGAS) was used to evaluate image quality, and the longitudinal distance (LD) from the apex of the right lung to the apex of the right diaphragm was used to evaluate the inspiration extent. Results DAP and ESD were significantly lower in the standing PAP and APP groups than in the supine APP group (P 0.05). Conclusion The radiation dose to superficial organs may be lower with standing PAP than with standing APP during chest DR. Standing PAP should be selected for chest DR in 3- and 4-year-old children, as it may decrease the required radiation dose.