Estimation of dose challenge in radiological exams policontuses patients in public hospital in Santiago with digital radiology equipment

lonizing radiation is always present in our natural environment and with the development of new technologies in diagnostic radiology we have elevated the exposure to radiation with an increased dose to both patient and professionals. This is of great importance for secondary stochastic effects that could be generated by exposure to ionizing radiation. There are different x-ray entrance dose studies in patients with radiological examinations in conventional radiology equipment, but not in trauma patients examinated with digital radiology equipment where there is a supposed greater exposure to radiation because of the increase of the number of radiological examinations requested. This study determined the doses received by trauma patients in a direct digital x ray equipment (in a ER in Santiago, Chile) and see if the doses are within the ones recommended by international societies. We used thermoluminescent crystals which were first properly calibrated and located in the center of the radiation beam. The results obtained show that using good practice we can obtain acceptable dose levels, independently of the digital equipment used where it is presumed that could give a higher dose of ionizing radiation exposure than conventional x-ray equipment