김현종, 김정원, 이수형, 김주연, 김무영

서울의료원 가정의학과

Background: Due to the increase in general health examination centers, health examination programs are becoming
more diversified in Korea. Some of the general health examination tests, such as computed tomography,
result in substantial levels of radiation exposure. However, the amount of radiation exposure from these
examinations has not been studied in Korea. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the level of radiation
exposure from general health examinations.
Methods: Through the Korean Hospitals Association website and portal sites, 296 general health examination
facilities were included in the study. The information about whether radiation-related tests are included in the
health examination program of each facility was collected from their internet website. The radiation exposure
dose for each test was obtained from the Database Construction Report by the Korean Institute of Nuclear
Safety.
Results: The mean base exposure dose of health examination programs from 296 health facilities was
2.49±2.50 mSv. The mean maximum exposure dose was 14.82±9.55 mSv (maximum 40.1 mSv). The maximum
exposure dose was the highest at university-associated hospitals (21.63±7.54 mSv) and lowest at hospitals
with ≤30 beds (7.84±7.64 mSv). The contribution of computed tomography on the maximum exposure
dose was the highest of all examinations (72%).
Conclusions: This study verified that examinees are exposed to substantial levels of radiation during general
health examinations. It is necessary to establish evidence-based screening programs considering radiation exposure
during general health examinations.
Korean J Health Promot 2015;15(3):136-140
Keywords: Radiation, Health examination, Tomography, X-ray computed