Radiation protection: Are pediatrics health care providers up to date?

Objectives: To assess the knowledge and level of awareness of practitioners who provide pediatric care on radiation risks in pediatric computed tomography (CT) examinations. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2020 to January 2021 at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The sample comprised pediatric radiologists, pediatric surgeons, emergency pediatricians, general pediatricians, and radiographers. A three-part questionnaire consisting of 46 questions was used for data collection; correct responses were given a score of 1, and incorrect or incomplete answers were given 0. The maximum possible score was 40.Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA) was used for all analyses. Statistical significance was set at p <0.05. Results: A total of 34 participants completed the questionnaire, and the mean +/- standard deviation score was 17.5 +/- 8.97. More than half of pediatricians (63.2%) and radiographers (52%) estimated the radiation dose incorrectly. Conclusion: The pediatric CT practice in our hospital was suboptimal. Practitioners must be continuously educated and updated on radiation protection. Further studies from different regions of Saudi Arabia are needed to avoid this bias.