Guidelines for the physician's behaviour after exposure of embryos or fetuses to ionizing radiation or after incorporation of radioactive substances for medical purposes

These guidelines intend to give the physician information on his further actions if radiation has been used in pregnant women for diagnostic purposes, and especially on the medical advice to be given to the woman. The guidelines deal mainly with radiation exposures up to a dose of 20 mGy (2 rd). The guidelines are to show that there is no indication in this dose range for the necessity of an abortion. If doses have been higher than 20 mGy (2 rd), which may be the fact in only a few cases, careful and complex diagnostic efforts are required for the decision on an abortion. The guidelines give some information also on the dose range above 20 mGy (2 rd). (orig.)