Radiation doses to patients resulting from chest X-ray examinations were evaluated in four medical centers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem-Palestine. Absorbed organ and effective doses were calculated for a total of 428 adult male and female patients by using commercially available Monte Carlo based softwares; CALDOSE-X5 and PCXMC-2.0, and hermaphrodite mathematical adult phantoms. Patients were selected randomly from medical records in the time period from November 2014 to February 2015. A database of surveyed patients and exposure factors has been established and includes: patient's height, weight, age, gender, X-ray tube voltage, electric current (mAs), examination projection (anterior posterior (AP), posterior anterior (PA), lateral), X-ray tube filtration thickness in each X-ray equipment, anode angle, focus to skin distance and X-ray beam size. The average absorbed doses in the whole body from different projections were: 0.06, 0.07 and 0.11 mGy from AP, PA and lateral projections, respectively. The average effective dose for all surveyed patients was 0.14 mSv for all chest X-ray examinations and projections in the four investigated medical centers. The effect of projection geometry was also investigated. The average effective doses for AP, PA and lateral projections were 0.14, 0.07 and 0.22 mSv, respectively. The collective effective dose estimated for the exposed population was ~60 man-mSv.

This work deals with the evaluation of radiation doses from chest x rays for 240 male and female pediatric patients selected randomly from four Palestinian hospitals. The patient population was divided into five age groups: Newborn, 1, 5, 10, and 15 y old. Doses were theoretically calculated by using Monte Carlo based codes: CALDOSE-X5 and PCXMC-2.0. Patients’ data and type of radiographic systems used as well as exposure factors were provided by the administrations of the selected hospitals. Absorbed organ doses from AP and PA projections were evaluated for 76 pediatric patients selected from one hospital in East Jerusalem. The highest mean organ dose for these patients was 0.085 mGy to the breast in AP projection. Effective doses were estimated for the five age groups for all patients. The highest average effective dose was found for patients in the age group of 10 y and was about 0.13 mSv, while the lowest average effective dose was found for the 5-y age group, about 0.06 mSv. The mean effective dose for all investigated patients in the five age categories was about 0.08 mSv. Variations in effective doses for the same age group and x-ray examination among involved hospitals are remarkable.