Speaker
Description
Background: Repetitive patient exposure from CT, fluoroscopy, and interventional imaging is rising globally. Cumulative doses in heavily imaged cohorts can exceed 100 mSv (PET/CT mean ~79 mSv, range 6–399 mSv), raising stochastic cancer concerns despite clear diagnostic benefit.
Objective: To synthesise current evidence on cumulative patient exposure and integrate the authors' multi-year dosimetric programme covering CT, CT angiography, paediatric imaging, and interventional procedures
Methods: Structured narrative review of CTDIvol, DLP, KAP, organ doses, in Saudi Arabia, benchmarked against international recommendations.
Results: CT angiography delivered effective doses of 5.0–16.5 mSv with LAR cancer risk of 0.02–0.08 % per scan. Paediatric CT in Sudan showed 3–5-fold inter-centre CTDIvol variability, several protocols exceeding international reference levels. Cath-lab patients received mean KAP of 26,052 mGy·cm². Hysterosalpingography and cystourethrography optimisation reduced patient dose by up to 40; iterative reconstruction reduced CT dose by 30–60 % without diagnostic loss. Digital dose registries reduced repeat imaging rates by 15–25%.
Conclusion: Although per-examination doses lie within international ranges, substantial inter-centre variability and elevated cumulative doses persist in heavily imaged subgroups. Patient-centred imaging—personalised pathways, dose registries, AI decision support, and harmonised regional DRLs is needed to maintain ALARA while preserving diagnostic efficacy.