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Review
. 2016 Feb;31 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S6-9.
doi: 10.3346/jkms.2016.31.S1.S6. Epub 2016 Jan 29.

General Principles of Radiation Protection in Fields of Diagnostic Medical Exposure

Kyung-Hyun Do  1
Affiliations
Review

General Principles of Radiation Protection in Fields of Diagnostic Medical Exposure

Kyung-Hyun Do. J Korean Med Sci. 2016 Feb.

Abstract

After the rapid development of medical equipment including CT or PET-CT, radiation doses from medical exposure are now the largest source of man-made radiation exposure. General principles of radiation protection from the hazard of ionizing radiation are summarized as three key words; justification, optimization, and dose limit. Because medical exposure of radiation has unique considerations, diagnostic reference level is generally used as a reference value, instead of dose limits. In Korea, medical radiation exposure has increased rapidly. For medical radiation exposure control, Korea has two separate control systems. Regulation is essential to control medical radiation exposure. Physicians and radiologists must be aware of the radiation risks and benefits associated with medical exposure, and understand and implement the principles of radiation protection for patients. The education of the referring physicians and radiologists is also important.

Keywords: Diagnostic Reference Level; Justification; Medical Exposure; Optimization; Radiation Protection.

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Conflict of interest statement

DISCLOSURE: The author has no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

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