Re: A question of ethics

[Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

I had the same experience in Vienna - the only difference being that I had a
normal x-ray done on my knee. The technician didnīt understand my question
at first, obviously I was the first one to pose it. The medical doctor
assured me that it was "low". 

According to our legislation all medical use of ionizing radiation is not
covered by our radiation protection law. It is the responsibility of the
medical doctor to compare risk and benefit. Of course a patient can refuse
to undergo x-ray examination. 

There are attempts to introduce a "radiation passport" via a standard -
which is of course not compulsary and cannot be enforced. Moreover, if I
remember correctly, the standard is directed towards radiation workers. I
know that in Switzerland a radiation passport is in use since long and I
know persons who had their x-ray examinations written into this passport. 

We should consider that the doses people receive from x-ray examinations are
by far higher than from other usual exposures. The mean dose caused in the
first year after the Chernobyl accident in the Austrian population - and
Austria was one of the most affected countries outside the former USSR - was
approximately the same as from two routine chest x-rays.

I agree with you that there is an ethical obligation to inform people about
these facts. This would perhaps help people also to put risks from nuclear
power, natural radioactivity and medical diagnosis into perspective.

Franz Schoenhofer
Federal Institute for Food Control and Research
Vienna, Austria
Schoenhofer
Habichergasse 31/7
A-1160 Wien
Tel./Fax:	+43-1-4955308
Tel.:		+43-664-3380333
e-mail:		schoenho@via.at