Fine tuning of work practices of common radiological investigations performed using computed radiography system

IntroductionThe advent of the computed radiography (CR) has brought about remarkable changes in the field of diagnostic radiology. A relatively large cross-section of the human population is exposed to ionizing radiation on account of common radiological investigations. This study is intended to audit radiation doses imparted to patients during common radiological investigations involving the use of CR systems.MethodThe entrance surface doses (ESD) were measured using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) for various radiological investigations performed using the computed radiography (CR) systems. Optimization of radiographic techniques and radiation doses was done by fine tuning the work practices.Results and conclusionReduction of radiation doses as high as 47% was achieved during certain investigations with the use of optimized exposure factors and fine-tuned work practices.