Assessment of effective dose and cancer risk for pediatric chest and pelvis CT procedures in the central region of Saudi Arabia

CT accounts for the highest radiation dose among various imaging modalities. Children are more susceptible to the harmful effects of radiation because of their higher cell-division rate and the likelihood of longer lifespans. Therefore, it is important to monitor pediatric CT doses to minimize their potential risks. The objective of this study was to evaluate the radiation doses received by pediatrics undergoing trunk CT procedures and to estimate the associated cancer risk. A total of 255 pediatric patients who underwent chest (92 cases), abdomen & pelvis (133 cases), and chest-abdomen-pelvis (CAP) scans (30 cases) from hospitals within the central region of Saudi Arabia were categorized into four age groups: