Comparison of directly and indirectly estimated entrance skin dose (ESD) for diagnostic radiation qualities (RQR, RQA and RQT) using water phantom and shadowfree diagnostic chamber (SFD)

The aim of this study was to find the entrance skin dose (ESD) for diagnostic radiation qualities RQRs, RQAs and RQTs given in IAEA technical report series No. 457 using direct and indirect methods of measurement. Measurements were done for 5 × 5, 10 × 10, 15 × 15, 20 × 20 and 25 × 25 cm2 field sizes and 70, 80, 90 and 100 cm source to surface distance (SSD) using shadow-free diagnostic (SFD) chamber and water phantom having dimension 30 × 30 × 30 cm3. ESD direct measurements were done by placing SFD chamber on the surface of water phantom, while in the case of indirect measurements, air kerma values were obtained. ESD values for different selected radiation qualities RQR2, RQR5, RQR8, RQR10, RQA2, RQA5, RQA8, RQA10, RQT8, RQT9 and RQT10 were found to be in the range of 0.0045–5.11 mGy per examination. Results obtained were found to be comparable with ESD values published in the literature. The obtained results in this research would help in establishing the national diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) which would help in the optimization of diagnostic imaging procedures. It would also help the radiographers to optimize field sizes and SSDs in order to reduce dose to the patients thereby ensuring good radiological practices, and this would reduce the stochastic risk to the patients caused by the ionizing radiations.