Recommendations of 1990 from the International Commission of Radiological protection: Implications in diagnostic radiology

The new ICRP criteria for occupational exposures in respect of the classification of working areas and the factors to be considered for assigning personnel dosimeters in the diagnostic radiology installations are analysed. The repercussion of the new dose limits on the design of barriers in the diagnostic radiology rooms and on the working procedures is discussed. Concerning the patient, the significance of the new risk factors is analysed, pointing out its impact on the justification and optimization criteria of some radiological examinations. The repercussions when using the new weighting factor for tissues for the calculation of the patient effective dose is evaluated, and the recommendation of achieving periodic controls of patient dose and of applying reference dose values in simple radiological examinations is discussed, there emphasizing the expertise gathered in this topic in some countries of the European Community. (author)