Recommended National diagnostic reference levels for adult abdominopelvic computed tomography examinations in Ethiopia

Background Computed Tomography plays a crucial role for diagnostic purpose; however, delivering minimum radiation dose to patients is the common challenge. Objective The main objective of this study was to establish abdominopelvic national diagnostic reference levels (NDRL) in Ethiopia . METHODS A quantitative cross-sectional study design was employed in 23 health facilities. A total of 800 abdominopelvic CT scans of patients were evaluated from January, 2023 to March, 2024. Scan parameters, patient profile and CT dose indicators were collected using a structured data collection format. Third quartile median values of computed tomography dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP) were calculated using Microsoft Excel 2016 and SPSS software version 26. Finally, the results were compared with national, regional, and international DRL. Result The third quartile values obtained from the median values of DLP and CTDIvol that were used as NDRL were 1387 mGy. cm and 10.5 mGy, respectively . Conclusion The proposed NDRL of CTDIvol is less than all African and non-African countries, while that of DLP values were intermediate and substantially higher than similar African and non-African studies respectively.