Personal usage of medical radiological procedures by radiologists, pathologists, and their families.

The Radiation Registry of Physicians was established to study the biologic effects of prolonged occupational exposure to low levels of ionizing radiation. Questionnaire responses from radiologists and a comparable group of medical specialists, pathologists, provided information about personal and familial exposure to medical radiation. This first report from the 1973 survey of radiologists and pathologists (5077 and 2914 respondents, respectively) shows that a significantly greater percentage of male radiologists, their spouses and their children reported diagnostic and therapeutic radiographic procedures than did male pathologists and their immediate family members. Responses from female physicians show similar relationships but the number of such specialists is too small for meaningful analysis. The exposure differential between radiologists and pathologists suggests that personal medical radiation exposure is an important component of the total x-ray exposure of radiologists.