IONIZING RADIATION - BENEFITS VERSUS RISKS

Over 90% of the genetic dose to the United States population from man-made sources of ionizing radiation derives from medical exposure. Most of this is from diagnosis and only about 1 % is from occupational exposure. It is estimated that over 90% of the health physicists in the United States are engaged in programs designed to reduce unnecessary occupational exposure and most of these efforts are limited to the nuclear energy industry which, partly through their efforts, has become one of the safest of all modern industries. There is no question that medical X-ray is an essential diagnostic tool; however, this in na wise justifies an average patient dose that may be 10 times that necessary to obtain required medical information. It is indicated that through education, training, certification and proper motivation of all doctors and X-ray technicians permitted to use X-ray diagnosis, by the application of improved techniques and the use of better equipment, patient dose can be reduced by an order of magnitude while greatly increasing the amount and improving the quality of diagnostic information. Although many lives are saved by medical X-ray diagnosis, on the assumption of a linear relationship between dose and effect, considerable lives also are lost because of unnecessary and excessive patient exposure. It is expected that in the days ahead a large fraction of the attention of the health physics profession will be directed toward maximizing the ratio of benefits to risks in medical X-ray diagnosis. © 1969 Health Physics Society.