Computed tomography (CT) is a diagnostic imaging process that uses ionising radiation to obtain information about the interior anatomic structure of the human body. Considering that the medical use of ionising radiation implies exposing patients to radiation that may lead to unwanted stochastic effects and that those effects are less probable at lower doses, optimising imaging protocols is of great importance. In this paper, we used an assembled 3D-printed infant head phantom and matched its image quality parameters with those obtained for a commercially available adult head phantom using the imaging protocol dedicated for adult patients. In accordance with the results, an optimised scanning protocol was designed which resulted in dose reductions for paediatric patients while keeping image quality at an adequate level.

For more than two years, coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has represented a threat to global health and lifestyles. Computed tomography (CT) imaging provides useful information in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. However, this diagnostic modality is based on exposure to ionizing radiation, which is associated with an increased risk of radiation-induced cancer. In this study, we evaluated the common dose descriptors, CTDI_vol and DLP, for 1180 adult patients. This data was used to estimate the effective dose, and risk of exposure-induced death (REID). Awareness of the extensive use of CT as a diagnostic tool in the management of COVID-19 during the pandemic is vital for the evaluation of radiation exposure parameters, dose reduction methods development and radiation protection.