Investigations into the frequency, age distribution and collective dose for diagnostic methods using radionuclides in the former Federal Republic of Germany

The 1.5 million examinations by medical practices participating in the health care system, which were ascertained in this study, account for about 65% of an estimated total of 2.3 million procedures performed in 1992. Computer calculations of the number of examinations on an inpatient basis and those by private practices were carried out using a special distribution code. The mean effective doses per patient shown in more recent statistics for Switzerland (4.0 mSv) and Great Britain (3.3 mSv) are consistent with the value of 3.5 mSv determined in this study. If the effective dose is expressed in relation to the total population, the value of 0.12 mSv obtained for the FGR appears to be at the uppermost end of the scale. This is clearly attributable to the extremely high frequency of thyroid examinations. 65% of examinations in the Federal Republic are performed in women and no more than 35% in men. The analysis also shows that the peak of the age distribution curve for nucleomedical procedures in the FGR has been slightly shifted towards the higher age groups, which must be regarded as favourable in terms of radiation hygiene. 77% of all nucleomedical examinations in Germany are carried out in patients of more than 40 years of age. Under consideration of current estimations of the risk from ionizing radiation the collective effective dose from the above-mentioned 2.3 million nucleomedical procedures, which after correction amounts to about 3.200 manSv, may be expected to lead to 160 deaths from cancer. The hypothesis that 160 individuals will eventually die from radiation damage must, however, be juxtaposed with the 65.000 deaths from Federal Republic. From this point of view, the benefits from examinations using radionuclides for outweigh the hypothetical risk associated with those procedures. (orig./MG)