Comprehensive estimation of patient radiation exposure in hip joint surgery using a tissue-equivalent phantom.

When a patient undergoes radiographic diagnostic examinations, the physician is required to explain the risks of radiation exposure to the patient in advance. As the number of imaging procedures per patient increases, explanations of the effects of radiation exposure have become increasingly complex. Therefore, we estimated effective doses for patient exposure and examined the usefulness of the cumulative effective dose (CED), which can comprehensively evaluate multiple diagnostic examinations during the informed consent (IC) process.

Methods

Using multiple glass dosimeters and an anthropomorphic phantom, cumulative organ doses and CED were calculated for diagnostic examinations performed before and after hip surgery.

Results

Individual organ doses did not exceed the threshold for tissue reactions. The CED was less than 100 mSv, indicating that the radiation-induced health effects were classified as “low dose” ,meaning “no acute effects, subsequent additional cancer risk of less than 1%.”

Conclusion

CED may serve as an effective tool for communicating radiation dose in relation to health risks. It enables clearer explanations of risks to patients undergoing multiple diagnostic examinations, and we expect that CED will help alleviate their concerns regarding radiographic diagnostic procedures.