Study for Patient Exposure of Diagnostic X-ray Examinations at Patient's Home

Abstract

When X-rays are taken at home, both the patient and the patient's room are likely to be exposed to radiation. In this study, we measured the dose and investigated the problems that are anticipated with home-based radiographic examinations. A portable X-ray apparatus was used which operated with commercial power sources. This was a self-rectification device with a constant tube voltage. A chest X-ray examination was investigated, and, for comparison purposes, we measured the dose emitted by a mobile X-ray apparatus used inside hospital rooms. To obtain identical radiation density, the portable X-ray apparatus required approximately 1.7 times more incidence dose at the surface than the mobile X-ray apparatus, with 17.93 μC/kg for the former, and 10.26 μC/kg for the latter. When X-rays were taken with the patient standing in front of either a 10 cm thick wall or a shoji (paper) screen, the dose at the other side of the wall was 0.658 μC/kg, while the dose at the other side of a screen was roughly seven times that, or 3.540 μC/kg. When X-rays were taken on the second floor, the dose a floor below, inside the radiation area, and at 150 cm from the floor, was 0.153 μC/kg. Due to extremely poor radiation quality, the portable apparatus produced X-ray images of an inferior quality to those ordinarily taken inside hospital rooms. This study showed that, when taking X-rays in patients' homes, certain restrictions are deemed necessary to protect radiographers, caretakers, and other personnel from exposure.