Alteration of medical radiation exposure annual collective effective dose of the population of Tatarstan from 1998 to 2010

Aim. To find out the contemporary principles of collective effective dose of medical radiation formation gained due to medical X-ray and radiological examinations. Methods. Data analysis of radiation and hygiene passports of Republic of Tatarstan territory for the period from 1998 to 2010 was fulfilled. Change of healthcare radiation sources number over time was defined. Number of performed medical X-ray and radiological examinations, average patient’s individual and total effective radiation doses were compared. Results. The number of medical X-ray and radiological examinations increased annually. The rate of different X-ray and radiological examinations as well as gained total effective radiation doses has changed significantly during the analyzed period of time. Use of digital technologies in radiology allowed to decrease average patient’s individual doses to 0.16 mSv for chest photofluorography and to 0.15 mSv for standard X-ray. In recent years, X-ray computed tomography is the largest contribution (40.6%) to the collective effective medical exposure dose of the population. Conclusion. Ionizing radiation use in medical practice remains one of the leading sources of the combined population radiation, primarily due to modern X-ray and radiological examinations; it requires attention and development of special arrangement, technical, prevention measures to decrease unfavorable influence of radiation to population.