Table.
Total-body effective dose and comparable number of chest x-rays for radiological studies in a patient with a normal body mass index∗
| Study | Estimated total body effective dose (mrem) | Comparable no. of posteroanterior chest x-rays (film or digital radiograph) |
|
Head/neck | ||
| Radiograph: skull | 10 | 3 |
| CT: head | 222 | 56 |
| NM: brain (20 mCi99m Tc-HMPAO) | 690 | 173 |
| PET: brain | 700 | 175 |
|
Spine | ||
| Radiograph: C-spine series | 27 | 7 |
| Radiograph: T-spine series | 140 | 35 |
| Radiograph: L-spine series | 180 | 45 |
| CT: C-spine | 450 | 113 |
| CT: T-spine | 1000 | 250 |
| CT: L-spine | 1000 | 250 |
|
Chest/lungs | ||
| Radiograph: posteroanterior chest | 4 | 1 |
| Radiograph: lateral chest | 8 | 2 |
| Radiograph: posteroanterior and lateral chest | 12 | 3 |
| NM: lung ventilation/perfusion (1 mCi 99mTc-DTPA aerosol + 5 mCi MAA) | 97 | 24 |
| CT: chest | 760 | 190 |
| CT: chest pulmonary embolism series | 1500 | 375 |
|
Heart | ||
| CT: coronary artery calcium scan | 300 | 75 |
| CT: coronary angiography with prospective gating | 300 | 75 |
| CT: calcium scoring | 500 | 125 |
| NM: MUGA | 520 | 130 |
| NM: cardiac stress (25 mCi 99mTc-tetrofosmin) | 325 | 81 |
| NM: cardiac rest and stress (8 mCi rest + 25 mCi stress 99mTc-tetrofosmin) | 429 | 107 |
| PET: cardiac | 1500 | 375 |
| Fluoroscopy: coronary angiogram | 1580 | 395 |
| CT: coronary angiography | 1600 | 400 |
| Fluoroscopy: percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty | 5000 | 1250 |
|
Abdomen/pelvis | ||
| Radiograph: pelvis | 110 | 28 |
| Radiograph: abdomen | 120 | 30 |
| Radiograph: intravenous pyelogram | 160 | 40 |
| NM: hepatobiliary (7 mCi 99mTc-mebrofenin) | 140 | 35 |
| NM: kidney (7.5 mCi 99mTc-MAG3) | 500 | 125 |
| CT: pelvis | 700 | 175 |
| CT: abdomen | 800 | 200 |
| CT: abdomen/pelvis without contrast (renal stone) | 1400 | 350 |
| CT: 3-phase liver | 1500 | 375 |
| CT: abdomen/pelvis | 1500 | 375 |
|
Bone | ||
| DEXA bone scan | 2.5 | 1 |
| NM: bone (20 mCi 99mTc-HDP) | 440 | 110 |
|
Breast | ||
| Radiograph: mammography (per view) | 10 | 3 |
|
Tumor | ||
| NM: PET (15 mCi of 18F-FDG) | 1100 | 275 |
| NM: tumor (10 mCi Ga67) | 2600 | 650 |
|
Combination studies | ||
| Fluoroscopy: barium swallow (24 images, 106 seconds) | 150 | 38 |
| Fluoroscopy: barium meal (11 images, 121 seconds) | 300 | 75 |
| Fluoroscopy: barium follow-up (4 images, 78 seconds) | 300 | 75 |
| Fluoroscopy: barium enema (10 images, 137 seconds) | 700 | 175 |
| NM: PET (15 mCi of 18F-FDG) | 1100 | 275 |
| PET/CT | 2000 | 500 |
| CT: chest/abdomen/pelvis | 2260 | 565 |
| CT angiography: chest and abdomen with contrast | 3120 | 780 |
|
Other | ||
| MRI: any type | 0 | 0 |
| Ultrasound: any type | 0 | 0 |
| Warning level (30% annual limit) for a radiation worker | 1500 | 375 |
| Annual limit for a radiation worker | 5000 | 1250 |
∗Radiographic or CT patient dose in some cases can increase significantly with patient size.
CT indicates computed tomography; NM, nuclear medicine; PET, positron emission tomography; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; DEXA, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry; HMPAO, hexamethyl propyleneamine oxime; DTPA, diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid; MAA, macroaggregated albumin; MUGA, multiple gated acquisition scan; HDP, hydroxymethyl diphosphonate; FDG, fluorodeoxyglucose; Ga67, gallium citrate 67.