Radiation exposure of imaging studies
What is the radiation exposure to an individual undergoing imaging studies?
The conversion for radiation units is as follows:
- • 1 Sievert (Sv) = 1 Gray (Gy) = 100 Rem = 100 Rad
The average background radiation exposure a person is exposed to is:
- • Natural background = 3.1 mSv/year
- • Flight from New York to Los Angeles = 0.030 mSv
The average ionizing radiation exposure for radiologic procedures is:
| Mammography—0.5 mSv | • Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)—0.001 mSv |
| • Chest x-ray—0.02 mSv | • Head CT scan—2 mSv |
| • Lumbar spine x-ray—1.25 mSv | • Ultrasound—0 |
| • Bone scan—6.3 mSv | • MRI—0 (although heating of tissue and other effects may occur) |
| • Upper gastrointestinal series—6 mSv | |
| • Barium enema—8 mSv (with fluoroscopy) |
