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Assessment of patient doses during mammography practice at Kenyatta National Hospital
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the average glandular dose (AGD) in mammography for craniocaudal (CC), medio-lateral oblique (MLO) projections and the dose per woman.
Design: The average glandular dose, device performance, viewing box tests and image quality grading were carried out at the largest mammography facility in Kenya.
Setting: Radiology Department at Kenyatta National Hospital (Referral, teaching and research hospital in Kenya.)
Subjects: A questionnaire method was developed and used in recording the patient dose, compressed breast thickness (CBT), exposure factors, luminance of the viewing boxes, room luminance levels and image quality.
Results: There were 3264 films from 1252 women of between 25 to 90 years old. The AGD per film was 2.14 mGy (range 0.27-9.43 mGy) for the CC projection and 2.44 mGy (range 0.20-10.12 mGy) for the MLO projection. 17% of CC films and 30% of MLO films recorded doses above the 3 mGy diagnostic reference level.
Conclusion: The variation of mammography imaging techniques and doses revealed the need for National Standards in mammography practice in Kenya.
Design: The average glandular dose, device performance, viewing box tests and image quality grading were carried out at the largest mammography facility in Kenya.
Setting: Radiology Department at Kenyatta National Hospital (Referral, teaching and research hospital in Kenya.)
Subjects: A questionnaire method was developed and used in recording the patient dose, compressed breast thickness (CBT), exposure factors, luminance of the viewing boxes, room luminance levels and image quality.
Results: There were 3264 films from 1252 women of between 25 to 90 years old. The AGD per film was 2.14 mGy (range 0.27-9.43 mGy) for the CC projection and 2.44 mGy (range 0.20-10.12 mGy) for the MLO projection. 17% of CC films and 30% of MLO films recorded doses above the 3 mGy diagnostic reference level.
Conclusion: The variation of mammography imaging techniques and doses revealed the need for National Standards in mammography practice in Kenya.
