Determination of Entrance Surface Dose of Digital Radiography for Adults at Public Medical Imaging Centers, Erbil

Introduction: Diagnostic X-ray is one of the ionizing radiations, the level of radiation dose received by the patient during medical examination is essential to prevent cancer risks. The aim of this study is to calculate entrance surface dose (ESD) and effective dose (ED) were estimated during chest, and lumber spine for adult patients in three hospitals in Erbil, using NOMEX MULTIMETER and PCXMC software.    Material and Methods: The study was conducted in three public hospitals, in Erbil on (250) adult patients, whose ages between (18-70) years, based on the results study, ESD and ED were calculated for chest (PA, lateral), and lumbar spine (AP, lateral) examinations. NOMEX MULTIMETER (PTW, Freiburg), used in measurement of tube voltage, dose, dose rate, time product current, and total filtration automatically during examination. ED was calculated by using PCXMC software (version 2.5). Results: The results of this work are compared with published international literatures. The mean entrance skin dose for examinations of chest (PA, Lat), and lumber spine (AP, Lat) 1.02, 1.06, 2.61 and 3.92 mGy respectively. ED value was from 0.08, 0.19, 0.32, and 0.33 mSv, for chest (PA, Lat), and lumber spine (AP, Lat), respectively. Conclusion: The ESD, and ED were calculated in this work were found to be agreement with the published reference values for chest, and lumber spine set by international levels. ALARA principle should be considered by radiographer, to reduce absorbed dose of adults’ patient undergoing imaging radiography.