What's New?
.	Fukushima Decontamination Report
.	CRCPD & CDC Grants for Volunteer Corps
.	America's Nuclear Future
.	February Newsletter
.	Boice Nominated President of NCRP
.	February Journal
.	February ORS
.	Schauer Given the Butterfly Award from Image Gently
.	Kase President's Report to IRPA
.	IRPA13 Accepting Posters

Upcoming Events
.	HPS Midyear - Issues in Waste Management 5-8 February 2012 Dallas, Texas
.	NRC Regulatory Information Conference NRC Regulatory Information Conference 13-15 March 2012 Rockville, Maryland
.	NCRP Annual Meeting 12-13 March 2012 Washington, DC
.	James E. Turner Memorial Symposium Call for Abstracts 18-19 April 2012 Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Pollard Auditorium, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
.	IRPA13 13-18 May 2012 Glasgow, Scotland
.	Canadian Radiation Protection Association (CRPA) Annual Meeting 27-30 May 2012 Halifax, Nova Scotia
.	ACS Undergrad Summer Schools 10 June- 20 July 2012
.	Nuclear Regulatory Commission Meeting Webcasts February 2012 Bethesda, Maryland

09 February 2012

Answer to Question #1836 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Medical and Dental Patient Issues — Diagnostic X Ray and CT

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

I recently underwent two x rays of a finger—one of 40cGy and the other of 50 cGy. I work for a nuclear power company where the staff is subject to very stringent limits of radiation exposure. For my own amusement, I attempted to convert my x-ray exposure to a total-body dose and came up with a figure of 50mSv or five times the annual limit allowable for staff in my company. Did I do my sums right?

To begin with, you have your units wrong. 40 to 50 cGy (40 to 50 rad) is an absurd dose for a finger x ray. An x ray of a finger requires little exposure. 40 to 50 µGy (microgray) (4 to 5 mrad) would be a typical finger dose. Above and beyond that, I am not sure how to (or even if it is appropriate to) convert such a dose to a whole-body equivalent dose. But, let's say for the sake of argument that we use your conversion assumption that the occupational extremity dose limit is 10 times higher than the whole-body dose limit; therefore, 10% of an extremity dose is the whole-body dose equivalent. That would yield a 4 to 5 µGy (0.4 to 0.5 mrad or 0.004 to 0.005 mSv) whole-body dose equivalent. Hope this helps. Kenneth L. Miller, CHP, CMHP Penn State Hershey Medical Center

Answer posted on 26 April 2002. The information and material posted on this website is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Website. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.