How does the radiation dose in screen-film combination imaging compare to digital imaging in paediatric radiography?
In general, digital detectors offer the possibility of dose reduction in a similar way as is done in adult radiography. It should be emphasized that while with screen-film combinations overexposure may result in a non-diagnostic image, overexposure using digital detectors may not be as readily recognized as it may result in acceptable quality image. Increased dose in digital imaging can also be caused by re-exposure by technologists not being detected (in most systems currently available), ease and convenience with which images can be taken thus leading to covering a larger area of a patient’s body or repeating the examination. Whereas it is possible to have dose reduction, many studies indicate that in actual practice, more so where optimization is lacking, there is increase in patient dose. Further details are available elsewhere on this Website and in [ICRP 93].
