Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41553469›Full record

ArticleNeuroradiology2026

Radiation dose of computed tomography in pediatric head trauma imaging.

Daniel Rosok, Marcel Opitz, Denise Bos, Yannick Thal, Marcel Drews, Raya Ocker-Serger, Mathias Holtkamp, Luca Salhöfer, Marcel Dudda, Johannes Haubold and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Neuroradiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Observational
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Daniel RosokInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany. daniel.rosok@uk-essen.de.
Marcel OpitzInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Denise BosInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Yannick ThalInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Marcel DrewsInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Raya Ocker-SergerInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Mathias HoltkampInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Luca SalhöferInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Marcel DuddaDepartment of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Johannes HauboldInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Bernd SchweigerInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Michael ForstingInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Cornelius DeuschlInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Sebastian ZensenInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeIn emergency diagnostics, head CT and CT angiography (CTA) of craniocervical vasculature are indispensable for children, despite their increased radiation sensitivity. This study assesses the radiation dose metrics of head CT and CTA in pediatric patients managed in the trauma resuscitation unit (TRU).

methodsAll patients aged 0-<15 years who underwent head CT and CTA in the TRU between April 2020 and August 2023 were included. CT dose index volume (CTDIvol) and dose-length product (DLP) were extracted from the Radimetrics Enterprise Platform, which also provided organ doses estimated via Monte Carlo simulations and effective doses (ED) derived from these estimates. Dose metrics were compared with national diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), defined for three pediatric age groups: I (0-<5 years), II (5-<10 years), and III (10-<15 years).

resultsOf 212 pediatric TRU patients, 62.7% (133/212) underwent CT and 72.2% (96/133) received combined CT and CTA. Median CTDIvol and DLP increased with age, whereas ED decreased. For head CT, CTDIvol ranged from 18.9 mGy to 29.4 mGy, DLP from 282 to 460 mGycm, and ED from 1.6 to 1.3 mSv. For CTA, CTDIvol ranged from 1.4 to 2.2 mGy, DLP from 40 to 83 mGycm, and ED from 1.0 to 0.8 mSv. All doses remained below national DRLs.

conclusionHead CT and CTA in pediatric trauma can be performed with radiation doses well below national DRLs. Careful dose management is important to reduce potential long-term cancer risks and deterministic effects such as lens cataract formation.

Indexed as

Computed Tomography AngiographyCraniocerebral TraumaRadiation DosageTomography, X-Ray ComputedAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleRetrospective StudiesComputed tomographyEmergency imagingPediatric traumaRadiation safety

Identifiers

PMID41553469
PMCPMC13021731

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.