Evaluation of Absorbed Dose from Common Radiology Examinations in Yasuj, Iran, Using Experimental Measurement and Monte Carlo Calculations

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate organ absorbed dose for the patients undergoing routine x-ray imaging procedures in hospitals under the control of Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in year 2014 using experimental measurement and Monte Carlo calculations. Methods: Entrance surface dose for three common radiology examinations in five radiology centers was measured. The entrance surface dose was measured in 12 randomly selected patients (male and female) for each x-ray examination. Patients were not exposed to any additional radiation and the radiographs were used for diagnostic purposes. Findings: The entrance surface dose for the chest x-ray examinations were found to be in the range of 0.29 to 1.284 mGy. The ESD values for the skull examinations were in the range of 1.96 to 3.8 mGy. For both chest and skull examinations, females received the maximum imposed radiation dose. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate a need for quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) programs to be undertaken to avert high cost and high patient doses. The recommendations to avoid unnecessary radiation exposure are also needed to decrease the patient’s absorbed dose.