We no longer test nuclear weapons in the atmosphere. The use of radionuclides in nuclear medical diagnostic procedures has increased appreciably. The actual absorbed population dose to organs such as the breast will still need evaluation. It is not possible to state this quantitatively now, but it is an important agenda item for the near future, if we are to sustain or increase the annual incidence of breast-cancers or to see some decline in the future. It is a difficult problem to evaluate the radiation doses from all the fluoroscopies.
Fluoroscopy delivers larger doses of x-ray than that used in standard films.
If there is an alternative means of making a diagnosis, fluoroscopy should be avoided. The remarkable accomplishments in the saving of the premature infant in the past several decades is well known. And the remarkable surgical accomplishments in the diagnosis and surgical therapy of congenital heart, vessel, and other abnormalities is equally well-known. These babies are of particular concern since they may receive relatively large numbers of radiographs compared to adults, and such studies often include fluoroscopic examinations and CT scans. The mean active marrow dose from all examinations was found to vary inversely with the birth weight.