Title:Feasibility of Weight-based Tube Voltage and Iodine Delivery Rate for
Coronary Artery CT Angiography
Volume: 20
Author(s): Ying Wang, Yan Zhang, Aihui Di, Qizheng Wang, Yongye Chen, Huishu Yuan and Ning Lang*
Affiliation:
- Department of Radiology, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, PR China
Keywords:
Coronary artery, CT angiography, Tube voltage, Iodine delivery rate, Effective dose, Weight.
Abstract:
Purpose:
The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of weight-based tube voltage and iodine delivery rate (IDR) for coronary artery CT
angiography (CCTA).
Methods:
A total of 193 patients (mean age: 58 ± 12 years) with suspected coronary heart disease indicated for CCTA between May and October 2022 were
prospectively enrolled. The subjects were divided into five groups according to body weight: < 60 kg, 60 – 69 kg, 70 – 79 kg, 80 – 89 kg, and ≥ 90
kg. The tube voltage and IDR settings of each group were as follows: 70 kVp/0.8 gI/s, 80 kVp/1.0 gI/s, 80 kVp/1.1 gI/s, 100 kVp/1.5 gI/s, and 100
kVp/1.5 gI/s, respectively. Objective image quality data included the CT value and standard deviation (noise) of the aortic root (AR), the proximal
left anterior descending branch (LAD), and the distal right coronary artery (RCA), as well as the signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio of
the LAD and RCA. Subjective image quality assessment was performed based on the 18-segment model. Contrast and radiation doses, as well as
effective dose (ED), were recorded. All continuous variables were compared using either the one-way ANOVA or the Kruskal-Wallis rank sum
test.
Results:
No significant differences were observed in all objective and subjective parameters of image quality between the groups (P > 0.05). However,
significant differences in contrast and radiation doses were observed (P < 0.05). The contrast doses across the weight groups were 27 mL, 35 mL,
38 mL, 53 mL, and 53 mL, respectively, while the ED were 1.567 (1.30, 2.197) mSv, 1.53 (1.373, 1.78) mSv, 2.113 (1.963, 2.256) mSv, 4.22
(3.771, 4.483) mSv, and 4.786 (4.339, 5.536) mSv, respectively.
Conclusion:
Weight-based tube voltage and IDR yielded consistently high image quality, and allowed for further reduction in contrast and radiation exposure
during CCTA for coronary artery diseases.
