The Overutilization of X-Rays

When the term "overutilization" is applied to x-rays, its meaning should be defined. The definition that I shall employ is straightforward: "over-utilization" means excessive irradiation per unit of diagnostic information, therapeutic impact or health outcome. In the broadest sense, it comprises excessive radiation per film, excessive films per examination or excessive examinations per patient.Excessive Radiation per FilmThe patient receives more radiation than is justified when the shutters of an x-ray unit are more widely opened and encompass a larger area than the region of interest. It has been estimated that, if exposure were consistently limited to the size . . .