Study on public dose burden in Suzhou from medical exposure in X-ray digital radiography and computed tomography

Abstract

Objective To estimate the effective dose burden to the public in Suzhoui induced by medical exposure from computed tomography (CT) and digital radiography (DR). Methods Twenty-seven hospitals were selected by stratified random sampling. The application information was colleted from picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and radiology information system (RIS). For DR, DAP was measured by the dose-area product meter in different body parts, then the effective dose values were calculated by the DAP. For CT, effective dose was estimated by measuring CT dose index weighted (CTDIw) and scanning parameters in different parts of the body. The public dose burden caused by DR and CT medical exposure in Suzhou was estimated according to the scanning time and effective dose to each part. Results The effective dose due to DR examination was abdomen AP 0.565 mSv, pelvis AP 0.280 mSv, skull LAT 0.016 mSv, skull AP 0.012 mSv, chest LAT 0.111 mSv, chest AP 0.060 mSv, thoracic spine LAT 0.100 mSv, thoracic spine AP 0.102 mSv, lumbar spine LAT 0.307 mSv and lumbar spine AP 0.152 mSv, respectively. The effective doses from CT scanning were 1.33 mSv for head, 5.75 mSv for thorax and 7.31 mSv for abdomen, respectively. The annual collective effective dose in Suzhou in 2017 from DR exposures and CT scans was 9 593.07 man·Sv, and the average annual effective dose was 0.898 mSv. Conclusions The contribution of CT medical radiation to the public dose is much greater than that of DR. Controlling the frequency of medical exposure and single scan dose is an effective way to reduce the public dose burden. The public dose burden from DR and CT medical exposure in Suzhou is at a high level and attention needs to be paid by relevant health administrative departments. Key words: Digital radiography(DR); Computed tomography(CT); Medical exposure; Effective dose