The Radiant Energy Received by Patients in Diagnostic X-Ray Practice

In this paper, a study is reported in which the radiant energy projected on more than 36,000 patients undergoing diagnostic x-ray examination at the Johns Hopkins Hospital was measured. These data appear to be quite useful in the evaluation of the levels of unnecessary exposure prevailing in diagnostic radiology, particularly when such unnecessary exposure is due to excessive field size in radiography. Such measurements may also be used effectively to estimate the annual genetic dose due to diagnostic x-ray methods. The relative ease with which such measurements may be collected permits the study of annual genetic dose on a continuing basis, thereby making possible an evaluation of the trends in this dose arising from an increased application of x-rays in medical practice and from the institution of techniques to reduce patient exposure.