The Basic Principles in Assessment and Selection of Reference Doses: Considerations in Nuclear Medicine

The possible ways to optimise the relation between diagnostic information and patient absorbed dose differ between nuclear medicine md X may imaging In nuclear medicine, very ittle has been done to lind an optimal dosage adiopharmaceuticals. Current nuclear medicine methods are discussed in the light of the recen ICRP Publications and the new EU Patien Directive The paper also diseusses how reference levels for administered activity may be derived from patient studies. In order to climinate the most inappropriate choices (too low or too high activities), knowledge of the current statistical distribution of administered activities may be helpful. Different methods to estimate the amount of activity that should be administered to children of various body sizes to guarantee the same image quality as for adults are also discussed. Examples of current activity levels for common nuclear medicine procedures indicating the state of the practice, are given.