1. About This Course
This presentation has been designed specifically to give radiologists, radiographers and other relevant medical staff the CT dose optimisation training as required by the Directorate Radiation Control (SAHPRA). The course contents are in line with IAEA guidelines for CT dose optimisation training.
2. About the Presenter
Dr Tobias Kotzé
Dr Tobias Kotzé is a consultant medical physicist. He was previously the deputy-Director and head of the Radionuclide section at the Directorate Radiation Control, SAHPRA and a medical physicist at Groote Schuur Hospital. He is currently a SAHPRA Technical Advisory Committee member for Radiation Protection, as well as a member of the IRPA (International Radiation Protection Association) Task Group on Radiation Protection Training.
3. Who Should Attend
Radiologists, radiographers and other relevant medical staff involved in CT.
4. Course Benefits
This presentation provides training for radiologists, radiographers and other relevant medical staff in dose optimisation in CT. It fulfils the regulatory requirement of the Directorate Radiation Control (SAHPRA).
5. Presentation Outline
Training on Dose Optimisation in Computerised Tomography
5.1 History
Topics include: The limits of conventional radiography, and the historical development of CT.
5.2 Principles
Topics include: Image quality versus radiation dose, tomographic acquisition, and tomographic reconstruction.
5.3 CT dose metrics
Topics include: CTDIvol, and Dose Length Product (DLP).
5.4 Patient-centered optimisation
Topics include: Patient size adaptation, adult versus pediatric protocols, pregnancy considerations, avoiding unnecessary repeat scans, and scan length optimisation.
5.5 CT acquisition parameters
Topics include: Tube voltage (kVp), tube current (mA), slice thickness, pitch, collimation, and detector configuration.
5.6 Image reconstruction techniques
Topics include: Filtered back projection, iterative reconstruction, noise reduction, the sinogram, and potential dose savings.
5.7 Examination protocol optimisation
Topics include: Head CT, chest CT, abdomen/pelvis CT, coronary CT, trauma CT, and protocol standardisation.
5.8 Contrast media optimisation
Topics include: Timing and bolus tracking, reducing repeat scans, optimising enhancement, and dual-energy CT considerations.
5.9 Image quality assessment
Topics include: Objective image quality, subjective image quality, noise, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and spatial resolution.
5.10 Quality assurance
Topics include: SAHPRA requirements, who may perform QA, acceptance QA, routine QA, Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs), typical DRLs, dose audits, and staff training.
5.11 Dose monitoring and optimisation
Topics include: Dose trends, patient doses exceeding 5 Gy, multiple CT scans, emergencies, and common causes of unnecessary high CT doses.
6. Course Dates for 2027
Presentations have been scheduled for 28 January 2027 and 29 July 2027, from 07h00 till 08h00 AM (including Q&A).
7. Course Fee
CPD certificate fee: R300.00 + R45.00 (VAT) = R345.00
(free for Life Healthcare (affiliated) employees)
8. CPD Certificate
HPCSA CPD accreditation by the University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences.
A CPD certificate for 1 HPCSA clinical CPD point will be issued to all attendees registered with the HPCSA or the Nursing Council of South Africa.
9. On-line Presentation Information
You do not have to register for these training meetings, you can just join. The MS Teams meeting ID and Passcode are as follows (it will be the same Meeting ID and Passcode for all the meetings in 2026):
- Meeting ID: 415 675 145 857 2
- Passcode: Wh7pz2vq
The meetings will only open 10 minutes before the start for participants to join (you can only join once the host has opened the meeting).
An attendance register will be automatically created by the MS Teams platform, which will indicate for how long you have been part of the meeting.
You can get only one CPD certificate per calendar year, irrespective of how many meetings you attend during the year.
A PDF copy of the presentation will be provided with all certificates.More than 125 presentations in dose optimisation already given since 2016.
The presentation will also be made available on Moodle for Life Healthcare employees.
More than 125 presentations in dose optimisation already given since 2016.
10. Downloadable Documents
Electronic logging of attendee data
Brochure Dose Optimisation in CT – 2027 (MS Teams)
Poster-CT-radiation-protection