Radiosensitivity of children: potential for overexposure in CR and DR and magnitude of doses in ordinary radiographic examinations

The linear, no-threshold model is currently the best estimate of risk from radiation exposure with no level below which radiation is safe. Plain-film radiography has a much lower patient dose than CT or fluoroscopy. With the advent of computed radiography (CR) the dose to patients is higher than screen-film radiography and overexposure is quite common. Task-oriented adjustment of technique, commonly used in CT, is rarely used in CR. Exposure reduction is important in CR as research indicates an increased risk of childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia from plain-film studies and an increased risk of fatal breast cancer from scoliosis series. Future needs include better documentation of the dose the patient receives, dose-based research on the radiation risk, and accreditation in CR and digital radiography for public assurance.