X-ray (exposure to ionising radiation)
Last reviewed 01/2018
Diagnostic examination effective doses (mSv)
- single x-ray
- skull (PA and lateral) (0.04)
- limb or joint (0.06)
- chest (PA) (0.02), chest (lateral) (0.04)
- abdomen (0.7)
- contrast examination, x-ray series or CT
- cervical (0.27), thoracic (1.4), lumbar (1.8) series
- intravenous urogram (2.5)
- barium enema (7.0)
- CT abdomen (10)
Notes:
- data reveal that the lumbar spine series has 90 times and a joint x-ray
3 times the radiation dose of a posteroanterior (PA) chest x-ray
- the average background annual absorbed dose in the UK is around 2.5 mSv
(equivalent to 125 PA chest x-rays)
- an abdominal computerised tomography (CT) scan (500 frontal chest x-ray equivalents) in a teenager is thought to raise the lifetime risk of inducing haematological malignancy to 1 in 1000
Reference:
- 1) Arthritis Research UK (Summer 2013). Hands on - Musculoskeletal imaging for GPs.
cervical X-ray (musculoskeletal imaging in primary care)
shoulder X-ray (musculoskeletal imaging in primary care)