Medical radiation exposure of the greek population

Abstract

Introduction Medical exposures contribute the largest to the population man-made radiation exposure, mainly due to the high frequency of diagnostic examinations and the patient doses involved. Purpose A research project was carried out by the Greek Atomic Energy Commission (EEAE) to assess the collective dose and the average annual effective dose to the Greek population from x-ray and nuclear medicine procedures. This work was performed in the framework of ‘PRISMA’ project within GSRT’s KRIPIS action, funded by Greece and the European Regional Development Fund of the EU under the O.P. Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship, NSRF 2007–2013. Materials and methods For each type of diagnostic and interventional procedures, the estimation of the annual collective effective dose, S, (person-Sv) and per caput dose, E per-caput , (mSv/caput) required information on the frequency and the mean patient effective dose, E pat , (mSv). Results In 2014, approximately 6.7 million diagnostic and interventional procedures were performed in Greece. The estimated frequency, i.e. number of procedures per 1000 citizens was: 447 for plain radiographies, 135 for computed tomography scans, 7 for interventional procedures, 2 for fluoroscopic procedures and 20 for nuclear medicine procedures. The annual effective dose per caput was estimated to 1.7 mSv from diagnostic radiology and 0.1 mSv from NM procedures. Conclusion The main contribution to the collective dose due to x-ray procedures appeared from CT scans. The collective effective dose and the annual per caput dose from NM procedures have decreased in the last 5 years.