title: Use of and irradiation from plain lumbar spine radiography in Switzerland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Plain lumbar spine radiographic examination (LSRE) is frequently used in medical practice and delivers a high dose of ionising radiation. The objectives of the study were to determine the annual frequency of LSRE in Switzerland and its distribution according to practitioners' and patients' characteristics, as well as the related population dose of ionising radiation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were extrapolated from a nationwide questionnaire survey on radiation exposure resulting from medical imaging in 1998, involving physicians and other healthcare providers performing radiological examinations in Switzerland.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An estimated number of 273,000 LSRE are performed annually in Switzerland (39 LSRE per 1000 inhabitants per year). The collective dose to the population due to LSRE was 1130 Sv (0.16 mSv per person per year). 50-60% of these procedures were performed to confirm or rule out a diagnosis, the majority (85%) in the context of an illness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LSRE is the third most frequent radiographic procedure performed and delivers the highest population dose of ionising radiation of any radiodiagnostic procedure. Efforts to reduce the frequency and the radiation dose of this procedure must be kept up, technically by optimising the equipment and radioprotection measures, and clinically by implementing evidence-based approaches to appropriate indications for this imaging technique.
authors.affiliation: Institut Universitaire de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Lausanne, Switzerland. John-Paul.Vader@hospvd.ch
authors.forename: John-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Vader
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Terraz
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perret
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aroua
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Valley
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Burnand
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011859:Radiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014600:Utilization Review