Dose Tracking Software; Beyond Collection of Radiation Exposure

Medical imaging (MI) incorporates a large number of different imaging modalities with the outmost objective to image human body and its internal organs in order to aid the diagnostic and treatment process of each patient. Consequently, it plays an imperative role in the attempt to improve public health globally. Also, MI is in many occasions justified in the follow-up of a disease already diagnosed and/or treated. Medical imaging contribution is paramount in confirming, correctly assessing and documenting courses of many diseases as well as in assessing responses to treatment.

MI involves also X-ray machines that impose high patient radiation dose such as the Computed Tomography (CT), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), or the angiography systems. Specifically for CT, depending on clinical needs and technical protocols, patient radiation dose can easily differ substantially, even for the same anatomical region, clinical indication, technical protocol or even for the same CT unit. The same can be seen in angiography specially in therapeutic interventional techniques such as percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), catheter-based structural heart interventions, electrophysiologic studies or arrhythmia ablations. Thus, the urge to standardize, to monitor, optimize and generally review medical practices has risen significantly.

At the same time, this can be an extremely time consuming, complex and compound task. Nowadays, sophisticated software with friendly interface can assist to this task, resulting in a much easier and quicker way to monitor all data included in the Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) header or the Radiation Dose Structured Dose Report (RDSR) of the X-ray machine or data recorded in the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) of the hospital. Manufacturers assert these dose tracking software form an efficient tool to the user in his attempt to manage imaging examinations. The related lecture will provide an overview of dose tracking systems developed by different vendors and how these systems can help in radiation protection of patients, optimization and organ dose evaluation.