Patient and staff doses in radiology and cardiology in Estonia.

This paper presents a short description of the Estonian radiological facilities and the doses to staff in radiology and cardiology. For each major work practice, the annual (2002) average effective doses are listed: X-ray diagnostics (radiologists: 1.11 mSv; radiographers: 1.03 mSv), interventional radiology (doctors in cardioangiography: 6.04 mSv; radiologist in angiography: 2.71 mSv), nuclear medicine (radiologists: 0.91 mSv; technicians: 2.41 mSv) and radiotherapy (radiologists: 1.00 mSv; technicians: 1.04 mSv). This paper also presents the first results of adult patient dose measurements in diagnostic X-ray departments in Estonia. The average entrance skin dose for chest PA examinations was 0.3 mGy, for chest LAT 0.9 mGy, for lumbar spine AP 6.4 mGy, for lumbar spine LAT 10.7 mGy and for pelvis AP 3.9 mGy.