Justification for medical expositions. Risks, benefits and engaged doses evaluation: first part

The norms of radioprotection are becoming stricter and stricter. Medical exposures are the most important source of artificial radioactivity. The works of the International Commission for Radiological Protection (ICRP) are generally considered as a reference for radioprotection. In Europe, there are also the directives of the Euratom treaty. The French National Regulation includes legislative and statutory texts that contribute directly or indirectly to radioprotection and that transpose the directives of the European Community applicable in this field. The purpose of this article is to remind the bases of the regulations. It also deals with the notion of risk and detriment, the justification of medical exposures and the evaluation of the benefits of radiological examinations, the differences in doses for the same examination from one country to another as well as the main measures aiming at limiting the doses of irradiation in radiodiagnosis. (authors). 17 refs., 8 figs., 19 tabs