Zhiren Chen, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Danmu Zhang MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Guoxin Chu, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Xing Huang, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Huizhi Cao, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yun Shen PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Employee, General Electric Company

To compare the effect of a fixed contrast material injection dose protocol and a dose tailored to patient body weight injection protocol on 64-row MSCT in coronary artery angiography.

Two contrast material injection protocols were applied in this study: protocol 1 - a fixed contrast material dose (70 mL of iopamidol 370) with an injection rate of 5.0 mL/sec; protocol 2 - a dose tailored to the patient's body weight (0.8 mL/kg) with an injection rate of dose/12 mL/sec. Prospective ECG-triggered cardiac CTA was performed in 50 patients (25 patients in each protocol). The image quality of multiplanar reformation (MPR) was analyzed using 5 point scoring (5: Excellent; 1: poor;), and the mean cardiac artery enhancement was also measured. Statistical t test analysis on image quality score, enhancement and dose of contrast material was performed.

The mean image quality scores of protocol 1 and protocol 2 were 4.15+/-0.24 and 4.23+/-0.17, respectively. There was no statistically difference (p>0.05). The mean enhancement was 410+/-52 Hu with protocol 1 and 360+/-31 Hu with protocol 2, indicating significant statistical difference. The mean contrast material dose showed statistical difference between protocol 1 (70 mL) and protocol 2 (50.1 mL).

The dose and rate tailored to patient body weight injection protocol can provide satisfactory quality and has the potential to significantly reduce contrast material injection dose compared with fixed contrast material injection dose protocol. And it is very useful for obtaining better, homogeneous and consistent contrast enhancement.

Dose and rate tailored to patient body weight contrast material injection protocol is very useful for contrast material dose reduction and for consistent cardiac CT image noise.

Chen, Z, Zhang, D, Chu, G, Huang, X, Cao, H, Shen, Y, The Evaluation of Image Quality Using Optimized Low-Dose Contrast Injection Protocols on 64-Row MSCT in Coronary Artery Angiography.  Radiological Society of North America 2009 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 29 - December 4, 2009 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2009/8013707.html