Safety
PET scanning is non-invasive, but it does involve exposure to ionizing radiation. The total dose of radiation is significant, usually around 5–7 mSv. However, in modern practice, a combined PET/CT scan is almost always performed, and for PET/CT scanning, the radiation exposure may be substantial—around 23–26 mSv (for a 70 kg person—dose is likely to be higher for higher body weights). When compared to the classification level for radiation workers in the UK of 6 mSv, it can be seen that use of a PET scan needs proper justification. This can also be compared to 2.2 mSv average annual background radiation in the UK, 0.02 mSv for a chest x-ray and 6.5–8 mSv for a CT scan of the chest, according to the journal Chest and ICRP. A policy change suggested by the IFALPA member associations in year 1999 mentioned that an aircrew member is likely to receive a radiation dose of 4–9 mSv per year.
Read more about this topic: Positron Emission Tomography
Famous quotes containing the word safety:
“To emancipate [the slaves] entirely throughout the Union cannot, I conceive, be thought of, consistently with the safety of the country.”
—Frances Trollope (1780–1863)
“There is always safety in valor.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Perhaps having built a barricade when you’re sixteen provides you with a sort of safety rail. If you’ve once taken part in building one, even inadvertently, doesn’t its usually latent image reappear like a warning signal whenever you’re tempted to join the police, or support any manifestation of Law and Order?”
—Jean Genet (1910–1986)