Trends and the determination of effective doses for standard X-ray procedures

Trends in the entrance skin exposures (air kerma) for standard x-ray imaging procedures are reported for the Province of Manitoba, Canada. Average annual data per procedure using standard phantoms and standard ion chambers have been recorded since 1981. For example, chest air kerma (backscatter included) has decreased from 0.14 to 0.09 mGy. Confounding factors may negate the gains unless facility quality control programs are maintained. The data were obtained for a quality assurance and regulatory compliance program. Quoting such data for risk evaluation purposes lacks rigor hence a compartment model for organ apportioning, using organ absorbed doses and weighting factors, has been applied to determine effective dose per procedure. The effective doses for the standard procedures are presented, including the value of 0.027 mSv (1999) calculated for the effective dose in PA chest imaging. (author)