What are the risks from ionizing radiation associated with medical x-rays?
There are two different types of risks, stochastic and deterministic. Stochastic effects are those in which the probability (not the severity) of the effect depends on dose. Examples of stochastic effects include cancer and genetic effects. The time between radiation exposure and the clinical presentation of these effects generally is measured in years to decades. Deterministic effects have a threshold and are those in which the severity of the effect varies with the dose. Examples of deterministic effects include hair loss, skin burns, cataracts, diminished fertility, and bone marrow suppression. Deterministic effects require significantly higher doses than stochastic effects and usually are only associated with repeated or very prolonged interventional fluoroscopic procedures. The time between radiation exposure and the initiation of these effects generally is measured in days to years. Of the two types of effects, the stochastic is the one of most concern as a public health issue. W
