Some observations on skin and organ doses during X-ray fluoroscopic examinations

The author presents and analyses the results of monitoring 40 women patients undergoing routine barium meal investigations, using four LiF dosemeters for each patient. Twenty two examinations were with undercouch X-ray tube and overcouch image intensifier, 18 with overcouch tube equipment. Particular attention is given to the interaction between dose and the subjects' positions. It is concluded that it is not possible to predict which is the predominantly incident skin side for the X-ray beam in individual patients, and from this it is inferred that organ-to-skin dose ratios are also likely to be affected in a complex and perhaps unpredictable manner. (U.K.)