Estimation of Skin Radiation Dose from Common Radiographic Examinations: A Preliminary Study to Establish Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to estimate the skin radiation dose received by adults’ patients undergoing most
common eight X-ray examinations. The study was conducted in three hospitals in three different Iraqi cities:
Najaf, Babylon and Salah AL-Din. A minimum number of 10 patients were considered for each type of
X-ray examination in each hospital. The skin radiation dose calculation was performed by mathematical
equation using exposure factors, namely, X-ray tube voltage (kVp), tube loading (mAs) and source-skin
distance (SSD). The skin radiation dose values were obtained for all patients involved in this study who
undergoing skull (AP and Lat), cervical (Lat), chest (PA), abdomen (AP), lumbar (Lat), pelvis (AP) and
knee (AP) examinations. The resulted data were analyzed and compared with international reference doses.
The average skin radiation dose ± standard deviation (SD) for the three hospitals were 0.77±0.43mGy for
skull (AP), 0.66±0.39mGy for skull (Lat), 0.63±0.34mGy for cervical (Lat), 0.28±0.25mGy for chest (PA),
4.36±2.92 mGy for abdomen (AP), 4.37±2.30mGy for lumbar (Lat), 1.65±1.09mGy for pelvis (AP) and
0.40±0.25 mGy for knee (AP) examinations. For majority of the considered radiographic examinations
Balad general hospital recorded the highest skin radiation dose. Overall most of the recorded radiation doses
were within the internationally acceptable dose levels with some variations amongst different hospitals.