Answer to Question #14893 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Medical and Dental Patient Issues — Worker Issues

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

Q

I am a student and recently spent time in the intensive care unit (ICU) when a patient had a portable x ray of their leg/knee. The room was one of those with a sliding glass door and everyone was outside the room. I didn't realize what was going on and walked by the room. I was about two meters away from the patient and am really nervous about my possible radiation exposure.

A

I want to reassure you that it was not dangerous to be about two meters from a portable x ray. The patient dose from a portable leg or knee x ray is very low. A very small fraction of that radiation is scattered from the patient, and that is what can expose staff members who are nearby. The farther you are from the patient, the lower your radiation exposure. 

The radiation dose to the patient from the x ray is far too low to cause harm, and you received a much, much lower dose than the patient. Because health care personnel can be exposed to radiation on many occasions throughout their careers, we encourage them to keep all doses as low as reasonably achievable by minimizing time exposed to radiation, increasing the distance from the source of radiation, that being the machine, and using shielding, such as a lead apron, when they need to be close to the patient during the x-ray imaging. 

Please keep in mind that we are always exposed to radiation from natural background. The extremely low dose you might have received from this event will not make a difference to your health. Please do not be worried.   

Deirdre H. Elder, MS, CHP, CMLSO

Ask the Experts is posting answers using only SI (the International System of Units) in accordance with international practice. To convert these to traditional units we have prepared a conversion table. You can also view a diagram to help put the radiation information presented in this question and answer in perspective. Explanations of radiation terms can be found here.
Answer posted on 22 March 2023. The information posted on this web page is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may affect the applicability of concepts, 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. To the best of our knowledge, answers are correct at the time they are posted. Be advised that over time, requirements could change, new data could be made available, and Internet links could change, affecting the correctness of the answers. Answers are the professional opinions of the expert responding to each question; they do not necessarily represent the position of the Health Physics Society.