Sunday, December 1 | 1:20 p.m.-1:30 p.m. | S4-SSPH02-3 | Room S404
In this session on physics in radiography, a study suggests portable x-ray systems outfitted with digital autoexposure control (DAEC) systems enhance image quality and reduce radiation doses. This latest technology holds promise, but has yet to be widely implemented in the field, the group noted.
Presenter Jung Han Woo, MD, of Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, South Korea, and colleagues acquired 2,093 anteroposterior chest x-rays from 467 patients: 1,235 with manual controls and 858 using a system equipped with DAEC. They conducted a comparative quantitative evaluation focusing on exposure indices (EI) and dose-area products (DAP), as well as compared image quality based on an analysis by two board-certified thoracic radiologists.
The DAEC group demonstrated a significant reduction in DAP (1.99 dGycm2, manual vs. 1.64 dGycm2, DAEC) and EI (393 uGy, manual vs. 266 uGy, DAEC). In an observer-based analysis of the lowest exposure images, the DAEC group yielded a significantly higher quality score compared with the manual group (12.5, manual vs. 13.4, DAEC; p < 0.001). The DAEC group also outperformed the manual group in a paired comparison in terms of higher observer analysis score (manual, 14.1 vs. DAEC, 14.3; p = 0.029).
“The clinical application of the DAEC system represents a substantive advancement in patient safety and image precision in portable chest radiography,” the researchers noted.
Tune in Sunday afternoon to this session for all the details.
