Effective doses in nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures in Greece

Medical uses of radiation have grown rapidly over the past decade in Hellas. A part of these concern diagnostic Nuclear Medicine procedures. Effective dose which is the risk weighted effective whole-body dose provides an indicator of potential detriment from ionizing radiation. The purpose of this review is to provide a data base of effective doses for nuclear medicine procedures in Hellas which are determined by National and European protocols and laws. Average effective dose for most nuclear medicine procedures in Hellas varies between 0.3 and 25 mSv which can be compared to the annual effective dose from background radiation of about 2.8 mSv.