WG12 – Dosimetry in medical imaging

Motivation

Medical procedures using ionising radiation constitute by far the largest contribution to people by man-made radiation sources. Although the benefit for the patients exposed will normally outweigh the risk associated with the radiation, there is concern that patients may undergo radiological examinations that will not have any impact on their diagnosis/healthcare, or that unnecessary high doses could be delivered with regard to the diagnostic outcome. Moreover, the increasing use of ionising radiation in the medical sector has also an impact on occupational exposures, and there are concerns that practices such as interventional procedures may cause high individual dosesboth to staff and patients. Tissue reactions to both categories have been reported. Furthermore, the recent decrease in the eye lens limit for the occupationally exposed personnel sets stricter scenery in individual monitoring from a technical and regulatory point of view.This means that it is essential to foster the implementation of the basic principles in radiation protection, justification and optimisation, and for occupational exposures also dose limitation. Radiation dose measurement and assessment is an essential part of radiation protection framework.