Whole Body Low Dose CT Protocol Recommendations

Technical Parameters

The European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging recommends that whole body low dose CT (WB-LDCT) should extend from skull vertex to knees (without intravenous iodinated contrast), with radiation doses between 3.2-4.8 mSv to maintain diagnostic accuracy while minimizing radiation exposure 1, 2
WB-LDCT should be performed on multidetector CT scanners with 4 or more detectors to ensure better colonic distention and fewer respiratory artifacts 3
Slice thickness should be ≤2.5 mm (with <1 mm preferred) to maintain adequate diagnostic quality while balancing radiation dose and image noise 3, 4
kVp should be set at 120 kV with reduced tube current (mAs) adjusted according to patient size to minimize radiation exposure 3, 5

Lower tube voltage settings (100 kVp) can be used for non-obese patients, providing up to 30% dose reduction without loss of diagnostic information, as recommended by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology 6
For obese patients, higher kVp settings may be necessary to maintain adequate image quality, according to Circulation 7

WB-LDCT protocols are associated with radiation doses of 3.2-4.8 mSv, significantly lower than conventional CT while maintaining diagnostic accuracy, as reported by the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 1, 2
The average annual background radiation exposure is approximately 3.1 mSv, for comparison, as noted in Circulation 7
The effective dose for standard CT of the abdomen and pelvis ranges from 8-16 mSv, making WB-LDCT a significantly lower radiation alternative, according to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology 6

The European Myeloma Network guidelines recommend WB-LDCT as first-line imaging for suspected solitary plasmacytoma (SP) or multiple myeloma (MM) 1, 2
The American College of Radiology guidelines should be followed for low-dose CT colonography protocols, with appropriate dose reduction techniques, as recommended by the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 8
For suspected appendicitis, low-dose CT protocols can reduce radiation exposure to 22% of standard-dose protocols without compromising diagnostic accuracy, according to the American Family Physician 9

The American College of Radiology recommends that programs should develop dedicated LDCT protocols reviewed annually by supervising radiologists, medical physicists, and radiology technologists, although this specific recommendation is from Praxis Medical Insights, a similar recommendation can be found in Gastroenterology 3
CT data sets should be reviewed by trained technologists or physicians prior to patient dismissal to ensure complete imaging and adequate visualization, as recommended by Gastroenterology 3