Anest. intenziv. Med. 2023;34(1):5-7 | DOI: 10.36290/aim.2023.014

Cumulative CT radiation dose in patients with pancreatitis. The path to enlightenment?Original Article

Harazim M.

Interní gastroenterologická klinika Fakultní nemocnice Brno

Lékařská fakulta Masarykovy univerzity, Brno

Currently, we rely on computed tomography (CT) to diagnose, determine risk or decide on possible therapeutic interventions in acute pancreatitis. The low doses of ionising radiation associated with this scan are associated with a risk of malignancy. The aim of our study was to analyze the cumulative effective dose in patients hospitalized with acute pancreatitis at the University Hospital Brno in the years 2021-2022. During the study period, 222 CT scans were performed in 146 patients; the median cumulative effective dose per patient was 23.86 ± 28.94 mSv. CT was followed by intervention (ERCP, surgical revision, CT-guided drainage, endoscopic drainage) only to a small extent (11.7%). The mean cumulative effective exposure to ionizing radiation during the follow-up period did not reach a significant risk of malignant disease. However, in a few individuals the cumulative effective dose exceeded 200 mSv and was comparable to several months at the International Space Station. Careful individual assessment of the likelihood of a change in clinical management based on the outcome of a given CT scan remains necessary.

Keywords: akutní pankreatitida, ionizující záření, CT vyšetření.

Received: January 19, 2023; Revised: March 11, 2023; Accepted: April 11, 2023; Published: April 25, 2023  Show citation