Family Medicine Activist: More Patient Radiation Safety

Just in case you didn't read the article (Cancer Risks from Diagnostic Imaging Procedures) in my last post about Radiation Safety, here's a table from it noting how much radiation in "chest X-Ray equivalents" you might be exposed to with the imaging studies listed below:

Table 4. Typical Effective Doses From Some Medical Imaging Examinations

TYPE OF EXAMINATION	EFFECTIVE DOSE (mSv)	NO. OF CHEST X-RAYS RESULTING IN SAME EFFECTIVE DOSEa
mSv indicates millisieverts; AP, anteroposterior; PA, posteroanterior; CT, computed tomography. a Number in the third column indicates the equivalent number of chest x-rays for that procedure. b Effective dose was calculated using the mean glandular dose found in the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) inspection in 2006 in the United States.54 c Average effective dose, health care level I countries, United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) report 2000.13 d Effective dose was calculated using entrance surface dose, nationwide survey (2001-2006, United Kingdom), and effective dose conversion factor.52, 53 e Average effective doses for axial and helical scans from a nationwide survey between 2000 and 2001 in the United States.55 We see many people who get the abdomen/pelvis CT for lower abdomenal pain.  People who get kidney stones seem to get a CT of the abdomen each time they go to an ER.  People with head or neck pain seem to get the "trauma series" if they go to an ER after a motor vehicle accident.  That includes CT of the brain, CT of the neck and CT of the low back.  I say WOW.  What do you think?
Radiography
Skull AP or PA	0.015	1
Chest PA	0.013	1
L-spine AP	0.44	30
Abdomen AP	0.46	35
Pelvis AP	0.48	35
Mammography (4 views)b
Screening	0.2	15
Dental radiographyc
Intraoral	0.013	1
Panoramic	0.012	1
Diagnostic fluoroscopy procedures
Barium swallowd	1	70
Barium enemad	5	350
Angiography: cardiacc	7	500
CTe
Head	2	150
Chest	10	750
Abdomen	10	750
Pelvis	7	500
Abdomen/pelvis	15	1100
C-spine	5	400
T-spine	8	550
L-spine	7	500