Diagnostic x-ray equipment evaluation in Brazil

An outline summary is presented of the results of a survey by the Institute of Radiation Protection and Dosimetry (IRD), Atomic Energy Commission, Brazil, of 790 X-ray machines used for medical diagnosis. In a group of 120 machines in 10 hospitals, used as a sample for investigating personnel monitoring, 10% of the equipment was not functioning, due to technical failures, lack of space for proper installation or lack of staff. In a further sample of 522 machines, tests of filtration, kilovoltage, exposure time and field size gave percentages not correct as 62%, 42%, 37%, and 54%, respectively. In regard to radiation protection, 40% of the rooms for these machines did not provide adequate protection for personnel or patients, and almost all x-ray departments did not use personal dosemeters. In the field of dentistry, of 268 machines checked, only 9% were working in correct conditions of technical parameters and radiation protection. (U.K.)