ArticleEuropean journal of radiology open2026
Cumulative radiation exposure from repeated CT imaging in hospitalised COVID-19 patients: Does it matter?
Article in European journal of radiology open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Purpose: To assess cumulative radiation exposure associated with repeated CT imaging in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and to identify factors contributing to high cumulative dose. Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational study included 69 adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 who underwent three or more CT examinations during a single hospitalization. A total of 296 CT examinations comprising 350 acquisition phases were analyzed. Dose parameters (CTDIvol, DLP) were recorded, and cumulative effective dose (CED) was calculated using region-specific conversion factors. Continuous variables were expressed as median with interquartile range (IQR). Results: The median cumulative effective dose was 47.7 mSv (IQR 34.5-87.2; range 18.0-342.6). A total of 32 patients (46.4%) accumulated ≥ 50 mSv, while 16 patients (23.2%) exceeded 100 mSv during a single hospitalization, including one patient (1.4%) with exposure ≥ 200 mSv. CED showed a moderate correlation with the number of CT examinations (ρ=0.37, p = 0.0016) and a stronger correlation with the total number of acquisition phases (ρ=0.54, p < 0.00001). Patients with CED ≥ 100 mSv had a higher median number of acquisition phases (5.5 vs 3), whereas the difference in the number of CT examinations was less pronounced (4.5 vs 4). Non-contrast chest CT accounted for 70.95% of all examinations. Conclusion: Repeated and multiphase CT imaging resulted in substantial cumulative radiation exposure in a selected subgroup of hospitalised COVID-19 patients. Nearly one quarter of patients exceeded 100 mSv during a single hospitalisation. These findings support careful justification of repeated CT examinations, limitation of multiphasic acquisitions when clinically feasible, and systematic dose monitoring in patients requiring intensive imaging follow-up.
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