DETERMINATION OF ENTRANCE SKIN DOSE FROM DIAGNOSTIC X-RAY OF HUMAN CHEST AT FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTRE KEFFI, NIGERIA

Abstract

A study was carried out to establish the trend of dose received by
patient during x-ray examination in Federal Medical Centre, Keffi
in  Nasarawa  state,  Nigeria.  Entrance  skin  doses  (ESDs)  for  a
common  type  of  x-ray  procedures,  namely  chest  AP/PA
(anterior/posterior)  were  measured.  A  total  of  200  data  were
collected  from  patients  who  were  exposed  to  diagnostic  X-ray
during  their  routine  chest  X-ray  examinations.  The  age  of  the
patients  ranged  from  15  to  68  years  old  while  the  weight  and
height  of  these  patients  ranged  from  37.5kg  to  98.5kg  and
130.0cm  to  175cm,  respectively.  The  patent’s  skin  dose  were
determined using Edmond’s formula, which is based on the X-ray
tube  and  the  radiographic  exposure  parameters  of  kVp,  mAS,
SSD  and  the  total  filtration  of  the  beams.  The  calculated  mean skin  dose  ranges  from  0.013 ± 0.01mGy  to 0.851±0.023mGy.  In general, the ESDs measured for this type
of x-ray procedures were found to be lower than or in agreement
with  the  guidance  level  set  by  the  Nigerian  Basic  Ionizing
Radiation  Regulation  (NBIRR,  2003)  standard  and  other
international bodies  and does not pose any significant health risk
to the patience or the workers