Revisão da literatura sobre a avaliação das doses e seus efeitos em exames de raios X e tomografia computadorizada abdominal em crianças

Abstract

This study presents a literature review on the assessment of radiation doses from abdominal X-ray and computed tomography (CT) examinations in children, with an emphasis on their potential impacts on pediatric health and on optimization strategies aimed at reducing radiation exposure. The review showed that CT, although indispensable in cases requiring greater diagnostic detail, exposes pediatric patients to significantly higher radiation doses than conventional radiography. Given children’s greater vulnerability to ionizing radiation, practices based on the principles of justification and optimization are essential to mitigate potential risks. Technological advances, such as iterative reconstruction algorithms and automatic exposure control systems, have enabled substantial reductions in radiation exposure without compromising diagnostic image quality. In addition, the customization of protocols according to the child’s body size and age, together with educational initiatives such as “Image Gently,” has played a key role in raising awareness and training healthcare professionals. The findings of this study revealed variations in effective dose among the studies analyzed. For pediatric abdominal radiography, studies reported a mean effective dose of 34.6 µSv (0.0346 mSv). For pediatric abdominal CT examinations, a Brazilian study reported a mean effective dose of 4.35 mSv. In the international literature, typical values ranging from approximately 3.7 to 5.3 mSv have been reported for pediatric patients, depending mainly on age, patient size, and the imaging protocol employed. It is concluded that the implementation of optimized practices in pediatric radiology is essential to enhance patient safety while maintaining the diagnostic effectiveness of these examinations.