Acquisition parameters in computed tomography for pediatric patients: a bibliographic review

Exams that use ionizing radiation are an essential tool for diagnosis and therapy of various diseases. Computed tomography (CT) is a modality that in involves high doses of radiation. Noting the rapid increase in the frequency of CT scans in pediatric patients, the scientific community has been looking for ways to reduce these dose values without compromising image quality and clinical diagnosis. In this study, a bibliographic review was carried out, seeking to condense information and present acquisition parameters for pediatric patients. Through the method proposed by Gil, 30 articles were initially selected to identify the following parameters: peak voltage, tube current (mA), acquisition time, collimation and slice thickness, pitch, reconstruction methods and dose. There was little literature on the choice of CT acquisition parameters for pediatric patients. Mainly, studies on dose reduction with the use of automatic exposure control were found. The training of the team involved in the procedures, guaranteeing the quality of the diagnosis according to the age group and with the anatomical variations of the patient, is of fundamental importance. (author)