Radiation Exposure From Medical Imaging in Patients With Chronic and Recurrent Conditions

Patients with hydrocephalus, pulmonary thromboembolic disease, renal colic, and cardiac disease received radiation exposures that may put them at increased risk for cancer. Moreover, the proportion who received estimated total effective doses > 50 mSv within 3 years was significantly higher for those diagnosed most recently. It is the responsibility of institutions and physicians to critically evaluate their infrastructures, diagnostic strategies, and imaging techniques for each individual patient, with an eye toward minimizing cumulative medical radiation exposure.