QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATION OF EFFECTIVE DOSE USING DOSE LENGTH PRODUCT IN CT HEAD AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Background: Effective dose is the whole-body equivalent dose of partial- body radiation exposure received during a radiological examination involving ionizing radiation. This study aimed to estimate the effective dose of radiation exposure in CT head scans, thus establishing a more comprehensive understanding of the potential health risks associated with CT head scans and providing a guideline to minimize those radiation-induced risks during a Head CT. Objectives: To estimate the effective dose in CT head scans among the patients attending CT head scans at the Department of Radiology, Dhulikhel Hospital, a University hospital Methods: A retrospective, quantitative, and cross-sectional study was conducted to study the effective dose in CT Head among 150 patients, aged between 18 and 80 years, who requested CT head examination at the Department of Radiology, Dhulikhel Hospital (Kavre, Nepal), using a 128-slice Siemens SOMATOM Perspective CT.Patient data regarding clinical history, investigation types, socio-demographic variables, and lifestyle factors were collected by developing questionnaire.