Radiation dose from common radiological investigations

Medical specialty: Radiology

Many radiological investigations utilise ionising radiation. 
The average person in the USA receives an estimated effective dose of about 3 mSv per year from background (natural) radiation. Medical imaging can contribute greatly to the lifetime dose.

 

Radiological investigations

1. Ultrasound scan: No ionising radiation
2. MRI: No ionising radiation
3. fMRI: No ionising radiation
4. Bone Densitometry (DEXA): 0.001 mSv ionising radiation
5. X-ray of extremity (hand, foot, etc.): 0.01 mSv ionising radiation 
6. Dental X-ray: 0.01 mSv
7. Chest radiograph: 0.02 mSv 
8. Skull X-ray: 0.07 mSv
9. Cervical spine X-ray: 0.08 mSv
10. Fluoroscopy: 0.19 mSv
11. CT sinus: 0.2 mSv 
12. Hip X-ray: 0.3 mSv 
13. Mammography: 0.4 mSv
14. Abdominal X-ray: 0.7 mSv
15. Pelvic X-ray: 0.7 mSv
16. Thoracic spine X-ray: 0.7 mSv
17. Lumbar spine X-ray: 1.3 mSv
18. CT head: 2 mSv 
19. Intravenous pyelogram : 2.5 mSv
20. CT chest: 8 mSv
21. CT Abdomen/Pelvis : 10 mSv
22. CT pulmonary angiogram (CTPA): 10 mSv
23. Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA): 12 mSv
24. PET-CT (PET and CT): Up to 25 mSv