The Effect of mAs and kVp on Image Quality in Neonatal Chest X-rays

This research investigates the effect of altering mAs and kVp on image quality (IQ) in neonatal chest radiographs, specifically focusing on pneumothorax visibility and Dose Area Product (DAP). The study found that changing exposure factors impacts both image quality and DAP, with trends showing a combination of positive and negative correlations. Lower mAs values are recommended to maintain optimal IQ while minimizing radiation exposure, aligning with the ALARA principle. The report acknowledges limitations, including the single experiment run and limited number of observers, suggesting future research to include repeated experiments and more observers for enhanced data analysis. It concludes that while chest radiography is valuable for infant care, careful consideration of optimization and justification is crucial to minimize radiation doses, advocating for the use of low mAs and kVp in clinical practice. Desklib offers similar solved assignments for students.

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Health Science
It is important to note that this research aimed at assessing the effect of
changing mAs and kVp on IQ to examine the conspicuousness of pneumothorax,
particularly in DAP as well as AP neonatal chest radiograph. The study established
various imperative findings, however, the main outcome was that altering exposure
factors had an effect on the DAP as well as image quality. Moreover, the general
graphs’ trend patterns followed a combination of both negative and positive
correlations. From the graphs, as mAs raised, Intelligence Quotient optimum score
declined. In the same token, the DAP increased when using 50 kVp, 60 kVp, and 70
kVp as mAs increased.
There are various recommendations in regards to the radiographic technique
for a larger number of present practices or undertakings in pediatric radiography, for
example, SCBU. According to Knight (2014), the SCBU should use a reasonably low
attainable (ALARA) in any AP chest x-ray because this would help in maintaining
optimal IQ at the same time as using low or less mAs. When performing chest x-rays
of neonatal in clinical practice, it is usually seen that the field of radiation increase
because of inability of the neonatal to evade missing pathology and/or anatomy as
well as its inability to keep still. As such, Karami et al. (2016), state that this can
result in an increase or rise of unnecessary radiation dose to the chests fields’ of
individuals.
The findings of this research indicate the significance of using lower mAs
when undertaking paediatric chest X-rays because it minimizes the radiation dose
amount to neonatal patients in the course of chests radiography. Most importantly, the
findings of this study cannot be directly compared to other studies’ findings since this
was an experimental based research and in regards to the knowledge of the author, a

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study has not been conducted concerning the impact of mAs and kVp in dose decrease
in a neonatal phantom when undertaking chest radiography. As such, the findings of
this research ought to be cautiously implied in clinical practice.
Additionally, the risks of contracting cancer in a child is naturally stochastic
especially in places where children are very sensitive to radiation and where there is
non-existence of threshold dose under which cancer contraction may occur (Willams,
2015). In this regards, a slight radiation exposure can possibly induce caner in
children. According to Sinnott, Ron and Schneider (2010), even though, it may seem
uncertain how much chest X-rays contribute towards the increase in the risk of cancer
and the risks related to a chest X-ray examination are low in comparison to other
image modalities like computed tomography, it is vital to decrease the dose of
radiation in a paediatric patient. The risk ought to be minimized and reasonably and
practically kept as low as possible.
Limitations
The weakness of this research was that the experiment was carried out only
once. According to Engelke, Maeder & Zepernick (2012), a repeat of the experiment
as well as permitting all the observers or viewers to score the images two times could
have indorsed for analysis and assessment of inter-observer variability and intra-
reader variability. Therefore, this could have promoted further data analysis which
would have resulted in further understanding of the difference in scoring amidst the
observers. Time constraint was another limitation of the study. Only 6 observers were
allowed and only fifteen images or pictures were used in the scoring process.
According to Obuchowski (2000), increasing the number of the observers would have
additionally had an effect of inter-observer variability on the outcomes or results
resulting in the results becoming more valid and reliable.

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Conclusion
In conclusion, chest radiography is one of the valuable tools in caring for
infants babies are usually prone to various pathological conditions which need SCBU
admission after birth where they maybe exposed to manifold chest X-rays check-ups.
As such, distinctive considerations in regards to optimisation and justification are
needed to decrease the dose of radiation to any paediatric patient. Even though risks
related to chest X-rays’ examination are low, it is vital for the radiation doses to be
minimized. The research strived to propose a practical technique which radiographers
ought to consider and apply to steadfastly generate chest radiographs which kowtow
with the global standards. In the same token, the outcomes of this research indicate
the significance of using low mAs and kVp when conducting chest radiographies.