DIAGNOSTIC RADIOPHARMACEUTICAL DOSE ESTIMATE TO THE AUSTRALIAN POPULATION

The annual per caput effective dose and the genetically significant do se to the Australian population, arising from the practice of nuclear medicine, were estimated from the results of a survey of all major hos pitals. The survey was conducted for a 4-wk time period during June-Ju ly 1991. Patients were characterized by age and gender. The use of dia gnostic radiopharmaceuticals resulted in values of 64 muSv and 26 muSv per caput for effective dose and the genetically significant dose, re spectively. The effective dose has shown a marked increase in the last decade. These values may be compared to the estimated 2 mSv from natu ral background radiation.