Collective effective dose from diagnostic radiology in Ukraine.

The frequencies and effective doses for the most common X-ray diagnostic examinations in Ukraine were assessed in the frame of the European Commission (EC) Study on European Population Doses from Medical Exposure (Dose Datamed 2). The average effective doses for all radiographic procedures were estimated using the ODS-60 software (Finland). The estimation of the effective doses for the chest film fluorography was carried out from the results of own representative measurements with thermoluminescent (TL) dosimetry and a standard Alderson-Rando phantom. The effective doses for fluoroscopy procedures were assessed using the Russian guidelines for estimation of effective doses. For all other X-ray examinations and procedures [computed tomography (CT), angiography and interventional procedures], typical effective dose values were taken from the EC Guidance RP154. The most frequently performed in Ukraine is chest film fluorography, with 389 examinations per 1000 population annually, reflecting in the greatest contribution to the total collective effective dose (CED) of 428 mSv per 1000 population (44 %). The total frequency and CED from all X-ray diagnostic examinations and procedures were estimated to be 1218 examinations and 1060 mSv per 1000 populations, respectively. The expected additional cancer risk from X-ray diagnostic examinations and interventional procedures is 2680 cases per year, with 1200 of them due to the contribution of chest fluorography. The main important action in radiation protection of patients in diagnostic radiology is the organisation of the monitoring of patient doses for different types of X-ray diagnostic examinations and replacement of chest film fluorography with digital X-ray systems.