Reference levels and their application in the radiological practice

Data collected by surveying radiographic installations used for medical diagnostic radiology and radiographs produced in it, has demonstrated a wide variation of doses which would be received by standard patients undergoing standardized examinations. The source of variation are chiefly human and performance errors and technical factors related. Based on such observations a control system has been developed in diagnostic radiology as reference level for typical examinations and exposure guides in order to produce diagnostic quality images with minimal radiation exposure. The establishment and use of those levels has to be installed in the Member States of the European Union. In order to extend this system aimed to optimise the radiographic examination, including quality control measures and evaluating patient doses to all patients subjected to an examination, the European Commission was developing European Guidelines on Quality Criteria for Diagnostic Radiographic Images, which should be used in order to perform radiographic examinations comparable - even on longer periods and different facilities. These principles on diagnostic requirements, radiation dose to the patient and of good radiographic techniques should be generally applied and will provide the medical community with the confidence that the patients will receive good radiographic examinations and holding the levels of radiation exposure within acceptable limits. (author)