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The potential hazard of ionizing radiation from medical sources is attracting attention. In this study from a single New York City center, researchers retrospectively evaluated cumulative radiation histories of 1097 patients who were referred for myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) studies during a 100-day period in 2006. Ionizing radiation procedures performed between 1998 and 2008 were included in calculations of cumulative radiation dose.
The patients underwent a median of 15 radiation studies during that decade; 31% received cumulative estimated effective doses from all medical sources of >100 milliSieverts (mSv), and 11% received >200 mSv (3 mSv is equivalent to 1 year's background radiation from natural sources). Uninsured patients unde…