The distribution of medical X-ray doses amongst individuals in the British population

This study has estimated the distribution of diagnostic X-ray doses amongst individuals in the British population by sampling the records kept by general practictioners (GPs) and records held by the radiology department of a district general hospital. Deceased patients were chosen in the former case to evaluate the dose acquired over a complete lifetime. Several hundred records were sampled. It is estimated that about 1% of the population has received a lifetime effective dose-equivalent of more than 100 mSv. The largest cumulative dose revealed by the samples of GP and radiology department records was about 200 mSv. GP data have also shown that the last year of life sees a four-fold increase in the number of X-ray examinations experienced compared with the previous 9 years. Hospital data have allowed an estimate to be made of current rates of dose acquisition amongst the population of a District Health Authority. (Author)