Question

Mary and her mother were in a serious automobile accident that resulted in broken bones and internal injuries. Mary's mother had a cervical spine x-ray, a CAT scan of her head, and an x-ray of her pelvis. A week later, doctors needed to conduct an X-ray of her upper GI tract. How will this affect Mary's mother's annual radiation dose?

Answer 1

The X-ray of Mary's mother's upper GI tract will add to her annual radiation dose, which can increase the risk of cell damage and cancer with prolonged exposure to ionizing radiation. While the doses from X-rays are generally low, the cumulative effect of multiple procedures should be considered.

Step-by-step explanation:

Mary's mother had already undergone a cervical spine x-ray, a CAT scan of her head, and an x-ray of her pelvis after the serious automobile accident. Now, doctors need to conduct an X-ray of her upper GI tract. The X-ray of her upper GI tract will add to Mary's mother's annual radiation dose. X-rays use ionizing radiation, which can cause cell damage and increase the risk of cancer with prolonged exposure. While the diagnostic doses of radiation used in X-rays are generally low, the cumulative effect of multiple procedures can contribute to an individual's total annual radiation dose.