Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42120805›Full record

Observational studyEmergency radiology2026

Photon-counting CT versus energy-integrating CT of the chest in acute respiratory distress syndrome: A retrospective observational study of image quality and radiation exposure.

Daniel Rosok, Marcel Opitz, Denise Bos, Laura Klüner, Marcel Drews, Luca Salhöfer, Johannes Harmes, Nina Pirschtat, Simon Dubler, Michael Forsting and 2 more

Abstract readObservational StudyComparative Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Emergency radiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

12 authors.

Daniel RosokInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany. daniel.rosok@uk-essen.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-2776-6604
Marcel OpitzInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Denise BosInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Laura KlünerInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Marcel DrewsInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Luca SalhöferInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Johannes HarmesInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Nina PirschtatDepartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Simon DublerDepartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Michael ForstingInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Johannes HauboldInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Sebastian ZensenInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeChest CT is central to the diagnosis and monitoring of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) may improve image quality and enable radiation dose optimization compared with Energy-integrating detector CT (EID-CT). However, evidence in critically ill ARDS patients undergoing contrast-enhanced chest imaging is limited. The purpose of this study was to intraindividually compare image quality and radiation exposure between PCD-CT and EID-CT in ARDS patients.

methodsThis retrospective study included patients with ARDS who underwent both contrast-enhanced chest PCD-CT and EID-CT between April 2023 and May 2025. CT dose index volume (CTDIvol), dose-length product (DLP), effective and organ doses were extracted from dose monitoring software. Subjective image quality and diagnostic acceptability were rated independently by two radiologists using a Likert scale; inter-reader agreement was assessed with Cohen's κ. Objective image quality was assessed using signal-to-noise ratios in representative anatomical regions. Intraindividual comparisons were performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

resultsAmong 531 ARDS patients, 80 (15.1%) underwent chest PCD-CT, including 59 (73.8%) contrast-enhanced examinations (median age: 51.7 years (IQR: 41.6-59.5); 62.7% male). Intraindividual imaging was performed in 32 patients (54.2%). PCD-CT demonstrated significantly higher subjective and objective image quality than EID-CT (p < 0.005), with moderate inter-reader agreement. Median CTDIvol and DLP were not significantly different between PCD-CT (8.2 mGy; 435 mGycm) and EID-CT (7.7 mGy; 297 mGycm).

conclusionIn contrast-enhanced chest CT of ARDS patients, PCD-CT provides superior image quality without a significant difference in radiation dose, potentially facilitating more precise diagnostic assessment in this critically ill population.

trial registrationDRKS-ID: DRKS00037916, 15 September 2025, retrospectively registered.

Indexed as

Radiation ExposureRadiography, ThoracicRespiratory Distress SyndromeTomography, X-Ray ComputedAdultAgedContrast MediaFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRadiation DosageRetrospective StudiesContrast MediaChest computed tomographyEffective doseLung injuryPhoton-counting detectorsRadiation dosage

Identifiers

PMID42120805
PMCPMC13433397

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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.