Invited Paper
Patient exposure in medical X-ray imaging in Europe
1 GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Institute of Radiation Protection, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
2 Bavarian State Authority for Occupational Safety and Health (LfAS), 80538 Munich, Germany
* Corresponding author: regulla{at}gsf.de
Patients are exposed to X rays when undergoing medical examinations in diagnostic radiology. Exposure data acquired and assessed in Germany for the year 1997 resulted in a mean annual effective dose of 2 ± 0.5 mSv per head of the population, thereby reaching or exceeding the average level of environmental radiation in many cases. The underlying frequency of medical X-ray examinations was 
136 million, i.e. 1.7 examinations annually per head of the population. For comparison, corresponding data of other countries were extracted from the UNSCEAR 2000 report or originate from the literature. Data analysis shows significant differences in national radiological practices and a very uneven distribution of patient doses amongst the world population. The mean annual effective dose per head of the population varies by up to a factor of 60 between health care level I and IV countries, and still by a factor of 6 within health care level I countries. While projection radiography has succeeded in reducing dose consumption, computed tomography and radiological interventions have given rise to a significant growth of patient exposure, and interventional radiology can even exceed thresholds for deterministic radiation effects. Patient exposure is further shown to result from misadministration and retakes of X-ray examinations, usually not registered, as well as from technical failures of X-ray facilities, which can cause significantly enhanced exposure times. Corresponding data are presented and comments are made on the international situation of non-harmonised data collection on patient exposure as well as of parameters affecting the assessment of exposure and risk.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  F. A. Mettler Jr, M. Bhargavan, K. Faulkner, D. B. Gilley, J. E. Gray, G. S. Ibbott, J. A. Lipoti, M. Mahesh, J. L. McCrohan, M. G. Stabin, et al. Radiologic and Nuclear Medicine Studies in the United States and Worldwide: Frequency, Radiation Dose, and Comparison with Other Radiation Sources--1950-2007 Radiology, November 1, 2009; 253(2): 520 - 531. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Sanchez Garcia, M. Pombar Camean, R. Lobato Busto, V. Luna Vega, J. Mosquera Sueiro, C. Otero Martinez, and J. R. Sendon del Rio AUTOMATED EFFECTIVE DOSE ESTIMATION IN CT Radiat Prot Dosimetry, September 25, 2009; (2009) ncp171v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. C. McDonald Too much of a good thing? Radiat Prot Dosimetry, April 22, 2009; (2009) ncp073v1. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G BEDETTI, N BOTTO, M G ANDREASSI, C TRAINO, E VANO, and E PICANO Cumulative patient effective dose in cardiology Br. J. Radiol., September 1, 2008; 81(969): 699 - 705. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Rosina, E. Kvasnak, D. Suta, T. Kostrhun, and D. Drabova Czech Republic 20 years after Chernobyl accident Radiat Prot Dosimetry, July 1, 2008; 130(4): 452 - 458. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. A. Mettler Jr, W. Huda, T. T. Yoshizumi, and M. Mahesh Effective Doses in Radiology and Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine: A Catalog Radiology, July 1, 2008; 248(1): 254 - 263. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B Hofmann and K B Lysdahl Moral principles and medical practice: the role of patient autonomy in the extensive use of radiological services J. Med. Ethics, June 1, 2008; 34(6): 446 - 449. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. G. Andreassi, A. Cioppa, S. Manfredi, C. Palmieri, N. Botto, and E. Picano Acute chromosomal DNA damage in human lymphocytes after radiation exposure in invasive cardiovascular procedures Eur. Heart J., September 2, 2007; 28(18): 2195 - 2199. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. G. Mansson, M. Bath, and S. Mattsson Priorities in optimisation of medical X-ray imaging--a contribution to the debate Radiat Prot Dosimetry, May 17, 2005; 114(1-3): 298 - 302. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|