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Digital Roentgenology example of X-ray and digital fluoroscopy inclinable table Conventional radiological procedures listed hereafter all use roentnograms obtained with an X-ray tube: Chest, bone and soft tissues roentnograms Mammography - galactography - stereotaxy Fluoroscopy (real time X-ray study of the body) Sialography (salivary gland canals opacification) Cholecystography (gallbladder opacification) Barium meal (upper digestive tract study by ingestion of a barium suspension) Small bowel enema (small intestine study) Barium enema (colonic study) Intravenous pyelography (excretory urography for kidney diseases) Phlebography (vein study) Fistulography (fistula tract opacification) Arthrography (joint space opacification) Hysterosalpingography (uterus and fallopian tube opacification) Radiculography (lumbar nerve roots study) Angiography with digital substraction (artery or vein opacification) Get yourself ready for a radiological procedure X-rays are a form of radiant energy, like light, radio or TV waves but they have a shorter wave length, as can be seen hereafter, enabling them to go through matter Radioprotection: diagnostic medical radiation exposure is anavoidable but it usually represents only a small part of environmental natural radiation exposure, as shown in table hereafter. According to strict radioprotection laws, every effort is made to minimize patient dose without compromizing diagnostic efficiency Diagnostic procedure Typical effective dose (mSv) Equivalent No. of chest x-rays Approx. equivalent period of natural background radiation (UK) X-ray examinations: Limbs and joints (except hip) Chest (single PA film) Skull Thoracic spine Lumbar spine Hip Pelvis Abdomen IVU Barium swallow Barium meal Barium follow through Barium enema CT head CT chest CT abdomen or pelvis Radionuclide studies: Lung ventilation (Xe-133) Lung perfusion (Tc-99m) Kidney (Tc-99m) Thyroid (Tc-99m) Bone (Tc-99m) Dynamic cardiac (Tc-99m) PET head (F-18 FDG) <0.01 0.02 0.07 0.7 1.3 0.3 0.7 1.0 2.5 1.5 3 3 7 2.3 8 10 0.3 1 1 1 4 6 5 <0.5 1 3.5 35 65 15 35 50 125 75 150 150 350 115 400 500 15 50 50 50 200 300 250 <1.5 days 3 days 11 days 4 months 7 months 7 weeks 4 months 6 months 14 months 8 months 16 months 16 months 3.2 years 1 year 3.6 years 4.5 years 7 weeks 6 months 6 months 6 months 1.8 years 2.7 years 2.3 years Radiation Protection 118 Referral guidelines for imaging, ISBN 92-828-9454-1 © European Communities, 2001 See also Radiation Dose Calculator, UIC - Radiation and Life Example of X-ray film: chest PA = Pulmonary Artery TR = Trachea CL = Clavicle AA = Aortic Arch SVC = Superior Vena Cava RA = Right Atrium CoPhs = Costophrenic sulcus LV = Left Ventricle D = Diaphragm G = Gastric air bubble L = Liver Sca = Scapula R = Rib