Feasibility of Weight-based Tube Voltage and Iodine Delivery Rate for Coronary Artery CT Angiography

Ying Wang; Yan Zhang; Aihui Di; Qizheng Wang; Yongye Chen; Huishu Yuan; Ning Lang

doi:10.2174/0115734056287292240206115534

Feasibility of Weight-based Tube Voltage and Iodine Delivery Rate for Coronary Artery CT Angiography

Curr Med Imaging. 2024 Mar 7. doi: 10.2174/0115734056287292240206115534. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ying Wang¹, Yan Zhang¹, Aihui Di¹, Qizheng Wang¹, Yongye Chen¹, Huishu Yuan¹, Ning Lang¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Radiology, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, PR China.

PMID: 38462824
DOI: 10.2174/0115734056287292240206115534

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.

Keywords: CT angiography; Coronary artery; Effective dose; Iodine delivery rate; Tube voltage; Weight..