ESTIMATION OF EFFECTIVE DOSE FROM DOSE-AREA PRODUCT MEASUREMENTS FOR BARIUM MEALS AND BARIUM ENEMAS

The International Commission on Radiological Protection has recommende d the use of a new dose quantity ''effective dose''. The doses to 22 o rgans of the human body are required for a formal calculation of this quantity. This paper shows that a quick estimate of the effective dose received by a patient from a barium meal or a barium enema can be mad e by multiplying the measured dose-area product for the complete exami nation by an appropriate conversion coefficient. Despite the varied te chniques used for barium examinations, such an estimate is unlikely to be in error by more than 25%.