RADIATION EXPOSURE DUE TO BEDSIDE CHEST RADIOGRAPHY DURING INTENSIVE-CARE - CUMULATIVE DOSE AND ADDITIONAL MORBIDITY RISK OF LONG-TERM THERAPY

Purpose: Assessment of the additional morbidity risk due to repeated b edside chest radiography according to ICRP 60 during intensive care. M aterial and Methods: Ventral surface doses were recorded by thermolumi nescence dosimetry in 2 man and 7 women, mean age 36+/-12 years, mean height 169+/-5 cm, mean weight 74+/-8 kg, receiving long-term ventilat ion therapy due to Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Results : From 18 to 126 days duration of therapy 9 patients received a total of 348 bedside chest radiographs, mean 39+/-22 radiographs per patient . 217 chest radiographs yielded 217 surface doses and 217 gonadal dose s. Patient's mean surface dose varys between at least 0,31+/-0,12 mGy and at most 0,56+/-0,09 mGy. The surface dose representing gonadal exp osure is less than 0,03 mGy per exposure. The mean effective dose is a bout 0,15 mSv per exposure. The cumulative effective dose H-eff ranges between 2,49 mSv and 14,09 mSv, thus estimating the additional indivi dual cancer risk ranges between 0,01% and 0,07%. Conclusion: In compar ison with the decreased prognosis of severely ill long-term ventilated patients the additional morbidity risk due to chest radiographs is a negligible quantity.