Radiation exposure of a population through X-ray and nuclear medicine

During X-ray examination of fluoroscopy of patients or during examinations with radiopharmaceuticals, virtually all tissue is irradiated by the primary and scattered photons and by the electrons. Efforts have been made to determine the radiation dose to some organs and especially to bone marrow and gonads which are particularly sensitive to radiation. From the figures thereby obtained and the statistics of the examinations carried out, for example, annually, the ''mean annual bone marrow dose'' (BMD) or the ''genetically significant annual gonadal dose'' (GSD) of a population can be calculated. In view of the difficulties which exist in calculating the exact dose in the two organs mentioned above for many examinations in nuclear medicine, the above-mentioned annual doses have been determined mainly for X-ray examinations, As an example of such an undertaking, we give a general view of the measurements and calculations which lead to improved knowledge of the radiation exposure of a population as a result of radiodiagnostic examinations. In addition, a few examples of calculations of the radiation doses produced in some organs through radiopharmaceuticals administered to the patients are given. (author)