Patient Dose Level Agent

Dose reference levels help keep patient radiation as low as reasonable, but reviewing every exam by hand is impossible. This agent reads dose records from CT and X-ray systems and compares each exam with local reference levels by exam type and patient size. It flags exams above the level and checks whether a reason was documented, such as a large patient or a repeat. For unexplained exams, it asks the performing radiographer for a reason and checks again once it arrives. It lists protocol patterns for the physicist, such as one protocol that often runs high. It also checks monthly averages against the levels. Protocol changes need approval from the physicist and lead. Edge case: exams on very large patients are compared with size-adjusted levels.