ESR publishes guidelines on DRLs for pediatric imaging

New European guidelines on diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for pediatric imaging from the European Society of Radiology (ESR) and EuroSafe Imaging, an ESR organization to promote quality and safety in medical imaging, have been published.

The guidelines consolidate information on the DRLs for medical exposure of pediatric patients. The project to create them began in December 2013 when the European Commission approved and funded the 27-month European Diagnostic Reference Levels for Pediatric Imaging (PiDRL) project. Prior to this project, European DRLs for pediatric patients have been only available for a number of common radiological examinations.

The project was coordinated by the ESR. Additional organizations participating included the European Society of Pediatric Radiology, the European Federation of Radiographer Societies, and the European Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics, and others. It was led by John Damilakis, PhD, as scientific coordinator, and Dr. Peter Vock, as scientific co-coordinator.

The guidelines can be downloaded from the EuroSafe Imaging website.