Publication date: Dec 01, 2026
To assess cumulative radiation exposure associated with repeated CT imaging in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and to identify factors contributing to high cumulative dose. 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). 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
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| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| 100msv | Computed tomography |
| Covid | COVID-19 |
| Hospitalization | Cumulative radiation dose |
| Radiation | Dose optimization |
| Multiphase imaging |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 |
| disease | MESH | included |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Cefradine |
| disease | MESH | CED |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Coenzyme M |
| disease | MESH | carcinogenesis |
| disease | MESH | infections |
| disease | MESH | image |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Isoxaflutole |
| disease | MESH | emergency |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Trestolone |
| disease | MESH | malignancy |
| disease | MESH | tuberculosis |
| pathway | KEGG | Tuberculosis |
| disease | MESH | dis |
| disease | MESH | pulmonary embolism |
| disease | MESH | IBM |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Methionine |
| disease | MESH | crazy paving pattern |
| disease | MESH | hematomas |
| disease | MESH | reinfection |
| disease | MESH | clinical deterioration |
| disease | MESH | clinical course |
| disease | MESH | pneumonia |
| disease | MESH | hos |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Esomeprazole |
| drug | DRUGBANK | (S)-Des-Me-Ampa |
| disease | MESH | Severe acute respiratory syndrome |
| disease | MESH | Infectious diseases |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Carboxyamidotriazole |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Guanosine |