Answer to Question #5669 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Radiation Workers — Pregnant Workers

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

I used to assist patients during swallowing exams performed with fluoroscopy in radiology. I stood next to the patient and gave food during the exam (10 to 15 minutes of exposure, two times a week during five years). I had on a lead apron and thyroid collar for protection. What are the risks for the ovaries? I'm having difficulty conceiving and had one miscarriage. Could this be related? (The apron protected the front but not the back and I used to turn to put the food on the table during fluoroscopy.)

At my organization, a video fluoroscopy would involve up to five minutes of fluoroscopy although the procedure takes about 15-25 minutes. Also, our fluoroscopy units average about 1.5 rad/m to the patient with the fluoroscopy running.

Using that information, there is a general rule of approximate exposure for others who might be in the room during a fluoroscopy procedure. A person standing next to the table gets about 1% of the exposure received by the patient. A person standing about one meter away (three feet) gets about 0.1% of the exposure received by the patient.

If the fluoroscopy was on for five minutes and the patient exposure is 1.5 rad/m, the patient would get about 7.5 rad. That means that you, standing next to the table, would get about 1% of that or 0.075 rad assuming you did not wear a lead apron.

The lead apron will allow about 3% of the x rays to come through so now your whole-body exposure is calculated to be 0.075 rad x 3% = 0.002 rad. We could say that is the approximate dose received by your ovaries although it would be a bit lower because the tissue surrounding the ovaries also shields them.

This dose (0.002 rad) is well below a dose that would cause any effect on the ovary. In fact, it takes doses higher than 50 rad before we begin to see sterility or loss of function of the ovary.

This radiation dose would not be the cause of the problems you are having trying to conceive nor would it be the cause of the miscarriage.

Kelly Classic
Certified Medical Health Physicist

Answer posted on August 3, 2006. The information and material posted on this Web site 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 Web site. 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.