DOSIMETRY OF CHEST X-RAYS IN ADULTS IN BENIN

O.H. FACHINAN*,**,#, A. AVOCEFOHOUN***, H.H.E. HOUMBADE***, T.A. ZOHIZALAN****, E.H.L. BATHILY*****, K.M. SAVI DE TOVE******

https://www.doi.org/10.59277/RJB.2026.1.03

*Centre de Recherche en Sciences Morphologiques et Fonctionnelles Humaines (CRS-MORFOH), École Doctorale de Sciences de la Santé (EDSS), Université d’Abomey-Calavi, République du Bénin e-mail: olatounde86@yahoo.fr
**Institut de Formation en Soins Infirmiers et Obstétricaux, Université de Parakou, République du Bénin
***École Polytechnique d’Abomey-Calavi (EPAC), Université d’Abomey-Calavi, République du Bénin
****Department of Oncology and X-ray Radiology named after V.P. Kharchenko, Medical Institute, RUDN University, Russia
*****Service de Médecine Nucléaire, Hôpital Général Idrissa Pouye de Dakar, République du Sénégal
******Faculté de Médecine, Université de Parakou, République du Bénin

Chest radiography is one of the sources of X-ray exposure in the medical setting. The objective of this study was to evaluate the entry dose of X-rays during chest radiography examinations in adults in Benin. This was a cross-sectional study conducted over eleven months, from January to November 2025. It took place in 30 healthcare facilities across the country equipped with functional conventional radiology equipment. Diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) were defined as the 75th percentile of entry dose (ED) and dose area product (DAP) values for chest radiography examinations. Lung disease was the most frequently investigated type of pathology in adult patients, with 966 patients seen, representing 27.52 % of the reasons for examination. The national 75th percentile (DRLs) value for ED (mGy) was 0.70. The national 75th percentile (DRLs) values for DAP (mGy·cm2) were 1120. These values were higher than the expected reference values. The doses delivered to patients during chest X-ray examinations in Benin were significantly higher than the international standards. Therefore, a process for standardizing procedures and optimizing them based on these DNRs is necessary.

Key words: Chest X-ray, dosimetry, diagnostic reference levels, Benin

Corresponding author’s e-mail: olatounde86@yahoo.fr

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