Acronym

DRE - Dose Reference Level

Typical dose level for a standard imaging procedure used for dose comparison

Expansion

Dose Reference Level

Purpose

Benchmark for dose audit and optimisation across institutions

Clinical Context

DREs are typically derived from the median dose of quality practitioners. They are not dose limits but serve as audit levels for quality improvement.

  • DLP:
  • CTDIvol:
  • ALARA:
  • Dose optimisation:

Key Points

  • DREs are set by regulatory bodies (e.g., ICRP); exceeding them should trigger protocol review