[When will x-ray diagnostic examination result in occupational radiation exposure? (author's transl)].

A Federal German x-ray directive prescribes certain precautionary measures and modes of behaviour for persons professionally, i.e. occupationally, exposed to radiation. An essential prerequisite, which may appear trivial at first sight, is that both those responsible for radiation protection and the exposed persons themselves should know who must be classified as occupationally exposed to radiation. The present article goes into this problem by examining the conditions governing four groups of x-ray examinations involving the relatively most frequent periods of stay in the x-ray room on the part of the radiologist and his staff: x-ray examinations of the internal organs, urological x-ray examinations, angiographic/neuroradiologic x-ray examinations, surgery involving use of an image intensifier. It was found that even when taking a pessimistic view, e.g. regarding the switch-on periods, the number of occupationally radioexposed persons in an x-ray department is relatively low in relation to the total staff employed in that department.