Radiation Dose, Pediatric CT May Differ by 5-Fold, Depending on Clinical Indication, Scan Type

Background: CT imaging is widely used in pediatrics, because it delivers fast, detailed views needed for diagnosing trauma, cancer, and other conditions. Yet, its higher radiation dose poses greater long-term risks to children, making dose control essential. Many regions have adopted diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) to guide safer practice, but Morocco still lacks pediatric DRLs and often relies on values from other countries that may not match local conditions. Because radiation needs vary by body, region, indication, and patient size, Morocco requires its own data-driven DRLs to support protocol optimization and strengthen radiation protection for children. Objective: To establish the first Moroccan pediatric CT DRLs stratified by anatomical protocol and diagnostic purpose. Methods: 224 children (aged ≤15 years) underwent CT examinations across 4 main protocols: head, thorax, abdomino-pelvic, and thoraco-abdomino-pelvic (TAP) at a single center. Volumetric CT dose index, dose& more...