ACCIDENTAL EMBRYO IRRADIATION DURING BARIUM ENEMA EXAMINATIONS - AN ESTIMATION OF ABSORBED DOSE

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES To investigate the possibility of an embryo t o receive a dose of more than 10 cGy, the threshold of malformations i nduction in embryos reported by the International Commission on Radiol ogical Protection, during barium enema examinations. METHODS. Thermolu minescent dosimeters were placed in a phantom to calculate the depth-t o-skin conversion coefficient needed for dose estimation at the averag e embryo depth in patients, Barium enema examinations were performed i n 20 women of childbearing age with diagnostic problems demanding long er fluoroscopy times, Doses at 6 cm, the average embryo depth, were de termined by measurements at the patients' skin followed by dose calcul ation at the site of interest. RESULTS. The range of doses estimated a t embryo depth for patients was 1.9 to 8.1 cGy, The dose always exceed ed 5 cGy when fluoroscopy time was longer than 7 minutes. CONCLUSION. The dose at the embryo depth never exceeded 10 cGy, This study indicat es that fluoroscopy time should not exceed 7 minutes in childbearing-a ge female patients undergoing barium enema examinations.