Análise dosimétrica em pediatria neonatal

Abstract

Chest radiographic examinations are frequently requested for newborn patients hospitalized in a Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Neonatal. However, children are more radiosensitive the younger they are and due to the higher number of cells in replication process. This feature arises greater concern in the scientific community to know the dose of radiation that these pediatric patients are exposed. This paper describes the methodology used for the implementation of a dosimetric analysis in neonatal pediatrics at the Children's Hospital Pequeno Príncipe, in Curitiba. Initially, the work proposes the construction of a phantom of a newborn to subsequent measurement of the radiation dose received by the neonate patient, through the use of TLDs (Thermoluminescent Dosimeters) for measures ESAK (Entrance Surface Air-Kerma) in the thoracic region and measure kerma-air in the deep lung, in water, with the use of an ionization chamber. The scattered radiation dose received by another patient near the patient under examination was also evaluated. The results showed, in general, dose levels below the reference values for the measures ESAK. For the kerma- air in the deep lung, and the values obtained compared to organ dose calculations through software is shown to be below the values obtained with TLDs. The measurements showed that the scattered radiation near the patient examined receive a small contribution of dose during examinations.