Bismuth Pelvic X-Ray Shielding Reduces Radiation Dose Exposure in Pediatric Radiography

Background. Radiation using conventional X-ray is associated with exposure of radiosensitive organs and typically requires the use of protection. This study is aimed at evaluating the use of bismuth shielding for radiation protection in pediatric pelvic radiography. The effects of the anteroposterior and lateral bismuth shielding were verified by direct measurements at the anatomical position of the gonads. Methods. Radiation doses were measured using optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLD) and CIRS ATOM Dosimetry Verification Phantoms. Gonad radiographs were acquired using different shields of varying material (lead, bismuth) and thickness and were compared with radiographs obtained without shielding to examine the effects on image quality and optimal reduction of radiation dose. All images were evaluated separately by three pediatric orthopedic practitioners. Results. Results showed that conventional lead gonadal shielding reduces radiation doses by 67.45%, whereas dose reduction using one layer of bismuth shielding is 76.38%. The use of two layers of bismuth shielding reduces the dose by 84.01%. Using three and four layers of bismuth shielding reduces dose by 97.33% and 99.34%, respectively. Progressively lower radiation doses can be achieved by increasing the number of bismuth layers. Images obtained using both one and two layers of bismuth shielding provided adequate diagnostic information, but those obtained using three or four layers of bismuth shielding were inadequate for diagnosis. Conclusions. Bismuth shielding reduces radiation dose exposure providing appropriate protection for children undergoing pelvic radiography. The bismuth shielding material is lighter than lead, making pediatric patients more comfortable and less apt to move, thereby avoiding repeat radiography.

Foreign Body Shape Classification Using Intuitionistic Fuzzy Rule Based Approach on Pediatric Radiography Images

Segmentation is the significant key stage in image analysis towards partitioning an image into different regions which have homogeneous features such as color, shape, and texture which is very important in classifying different region shapes in an image. In general, images are considered fuzzy due to the uncertainty present in terms of vagueness. The regions contain imprecise gray levels and uncertain data values which makes the task of defining the membership function difficult due to lack of precise knowledge. The intuitionistic fuzzy rule-based shape classification approach is used to classify the different shapes, such as circular, polygon, sharp, and irregular of the aspired foreign body on pediatric radiography images. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed method in contrast to conventional fuzzy rule base algorithm.

Improved Automatic Anatomic Location Identification Approach and CBR-Based Treatment Management System for Pediatric Foreign Body Aspiration

In general, the diagnosis and treatment planning of pediatric foreign body aspiration is done by medical experts with experience and uncertain clinical data of the patients, which makes the diagnosis a more approximate and time-consuming process. Foreign body diagnostic information requires the evidence such as size, shape, and location classification of the aspired foreign body. This evidence identification process requires the knowledge of human expertise to achieve accuracy in classification. The aim of the proposed work is to improve the performance of automatic anatomic location identification approach (AALIA) and to develop a reasoning-based systematic approach for pediatric foreign body aspiration treatment management. A CBR-based treatment management system is proposed for standardizing the pediatric foreign body aspiration treatment management process. The proposed approach considered a sample set of foreign body-aspired pediatric radiography images for experimental evaluation, and the performance is evaluated with respect to receiver operator characteristics (ROC) measure.

Can pediatric radiography be practiced appropriately in a hospital, without a dedicated diagnostic imaging unit? A case study.

Introduction Due to Norway’s population density, demographic scatter and topography, performing radiological examinations in children in the same unit as in adults is quite common despite international guidelines recommending use of dedicated pediatric radiology units. Children examined in non-dedicated pediatric facilities are therefore a unique patient group who requires special attention. This study investigates pediatric radiography practice at a small local hospital lacking a dedicated pediatric radiology department by comparing it with the ideals of good practice as stated by international agencies. The aspects analyzed are organization, radiation safety and optimization. Methods The approach is qualitative, based on participant observation, document investigation and interviews with radiographers. Results Radiologists evaluated referrals. Age specific pediatric CT-protocols were being used. Awareness of the greater radiation risk in children and radiation safety concern were common among the radiographers. Some radiographers had experience from pediatric imaging departments while none of them had postgraduate studies in pediatric radiography. Lack of extensive practice due to reduced pediatric patient volume makes sometimes the examination of children be a challenging task. Communication with children seemed to go well. Conclusion Despite variations in experience with children among radiographers and lack of specialization in pediatric radiography, the practice is largely in accordance with international recommendations. Radiation protection and optimization requirements met, although the departmental organization slightly diverges from prevailing guidelines. Slightly different practice and experience with children among radiographers indicate the need for special guidelines for pediatric imaging for non-dedicated pediatric radiology departments.

Shape Determination of Aspired Foreign Body on Pediatric Radiography Images Using Rule-Based Approach

Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a common problem among pediatric population that requires early diagnosis and prompt successful management. Conventionally the radiography image inspection processes are carried out manually by the experts of medical field. Recently automated systems are developed to improve the quality of the radiography images but none of the work carried out especially to determine the characteristics of the foreign bodies in pediatric foreign body aspired radiography images. The proposed approach focuses on characterizing the foreign body shape using sixteen various geometric and edge features. The shapes are determined by using fuzzy logical connectives formed by logically connecting two or more extracted information and a binary decision tree. More than 100 X-Ray radiography images are used to obtained the experimental research. The method proved that the results are more accurate in determining the foreign body shapes as circle, polygon, sharp and irregular automatically with less time.