Dose to patients through nuclear medicine procedures in a department in northern Greece

Diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures in a large hospital in northern Greece during 1984-1988 have been surveyed in order to estimate the radiation burden to the patients. The mean effective dose equivalent (EDE) was found to be 1.96 mSv/examination and 2.46 mSv/patient, allowing for the fact that a number of patients underwent more than one examination. Apart from EDE, absorbed dose has been calculated for bone marrow, thyroid, gonads, kidneys and bladder. Patients undergoing multiple examinations have been used to calculate true 'patient dose distribution' as well as 'patient time-weighted dose distribution'. Because of the predominance of renal examinations, 8.5 fatal renal malignancies are expected per 100,000 patients.