THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL IMAGING ON PATIENT DOSES DURING BARIUM STUDIES

Barium studies performed on 10 digital and four non-digital fluoroscop ic systems were monitored with dose-area product meters as part of a R egional Patient Dosimetry Audit programme. The data have been collecte d using a computer to read and reset the dose-area product meter and a lso to collect patient and examination details. A comparison of dose-a rea product measurements from digital and non-digital fluoroscopy unit s on, over 10 000 barium studies is presented. The data have been corr ected according to patient size. The mean size corrected dose-area pro duct for a barium meal examination was found to be 7.62 Gy cm(2) for a digital set compared with 15.45 Gy cm(2) for a non-digital set with 2 462 and 1308 patients included in each measurement series, respectivel y. Dose-area products were also a factor of approximately two lower fo r barium enema, barium swallow and barium follow-through examinations performed on digital systems.