dosisarea

Dosisarea is a term sometimes used informally to refer to the dose-area product (DAP), a radiological quantity that expresses the total radiation energy delivered to a patient. It combines the dose distribution within the irradiated field with the cross-sectional area of that field, providing a single metric of overall exposure.

The dose-area product is defined as the integral of the absorbed dose over the exposed area, often written as DAP = ∫ D(x,y) dA. It is measured in units of gray times square centimeters (Gy·cm^2). In practice, DAP is obtained with a meter placed in the X-ray beam path or integrated into the apparatus, and is used as a proxy for patient radiation burden, particularly in diagnostic and interventional radiology where beam sizes and exposure times vary.

DAP is useful for comparing equipment performance, optimizing protocols, and meeting regulatory reporting requirements. It helps clinicians and physicists assess and manage patient risk by providing a single quantity that accounts for both dose level and irradiated area. However, DAP does not capture how dose is distributed within the body, nor does it directly represent organ or effective dose without additional anatomical and clinical modeling. Its interpretation should consider beam quality, geometry, patient size, and the specifics of the examination.

Related concepts include entrance skin dose, effective dose, and other radiological protection quantities. DAP remains a practical tool for dose optimization and quality assurance in radiology.